Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
After Sangramnagar and Shivajinagar, now residents of Mukundnagar and Rajnagar are having to launch a protest for an underpass at Railway Gate No. 56. The issue and need for the underpass at this location has reached the union Railway Minister through local MLAs. A Detailed Project Report (DPR) has already been prepared, but the railway authorities have not given any response regarding approval or when the actual construction work will begin.
In the past, residents had to protest for several months to get underpasses built at Sangramnagar and Shivajinagar. Eventually, those underpasses were constructed. Now, people from Mukundnagar and Rajnagar are being forced to take the protest route. As soon as attempts began to close the only accessible open space in the railway fencing used for crossing, hundreds of residents including students, senior citizens, women, and youth sat on the tracks and stopped a freight train (New Modified Goods) on Monday afternoon. Following this protest, locals have declared their intent to continue agitation until the underpass is constructed.
When will the work begin?
The Rajnagar and Mukundnagar areas have seen significant population growth. Residents and vehicle owners regularly use Railway Gate No. 56 to commute. When a train passes, this gate causes massive traffic jams, with long queues of vehicles on either side. Although the railways have agreed in principle to build an underpass, citizens are now demanding clarity on when the actual construction work will start.
Will the small passage also be closed?
To prevent people from crossing the tracks, the railways have installed iron fencing in the Rajnagar–Mukundnagar area. However, one small open gap was left, along with an old, narrow underpass under the tracks, which essentially acts like a drainage channel. Now, the railways are reportedly planning to close even this small passage, causing further concern among residents, who fear losing even the limited access they currently have.