Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday assured that the Pune Akashvani (All India Radio) station would not be shut down, putting to rest speculation that had been circulating recently.

The assurance came during a meeting between Vaishnaw and Murlidhar Mohol, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation, on the sidelines of Vaishnaw’s visit to Pune to inaugurate railway development projects and launch new train services.

Mohol received Vaishnaw at Pune International Airport and had raised concerns about the future of the Akashvani Pune news division. He urged the minister to retain the unit. Vaishnaw responded by stating that the Central Government had neither proposed nor considered closing it.

“We are working to modernise and strengthen Akashvani stations across the country. The question of closing the Akashvani Pune news division does not arise. On the contrary, our focus is on strengthening local news coverage and public outreach. The Central Government is committed to modernising all Akashvani stations in Maharashtra and across the nation,” Vaishnaw said.

Mohol welcomed the assurance and highlighted the Akashvani station’s enduring relevance. “The Pune Akashvani station has a glorious history. Even today, approximately 1.25 crore listeners regularly rely on it for news. Pune Akashvani is not merely a broadcasting organisation but an integral part of Pune’s cultural, social, and journalistic heritage,” he said.

The Akashvani Pune station, one of All India Radio’s oldest and most prominent centres in Maharashtra, has long served as a primary source of local news and public information for the region.