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(ANS – Ahmednagar) – After years of waiting and of work the Salesian community of Ahmednagar, in the State of Maharashtra, India, now has a radio station. “Radio Nagar 90.4 FM”, which will be launched on 13 January and has as its mission to help the poor make their voices heard and to serve the different strata of society.

A radio station has been planned by the Salesian community of Ahmednagar for quite some time.  Approval was first given in 2003 by the Mumbai Provincial of the time Fr Ivo Coelho for a community radio station to be started - Radio FM Bee, at Savedi, but for various reasons it was never begun.

Now thanks to the efforts of the NGO Snehalaya Foundation Radio Nagar 90.4 FM will take to the airwaves. The Snehalaya Foundation has worked for three and a half years obtaining the licence and completing all the formalities required by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

In a survey of eleven hundred families conducted by Premraj Sarda College of Post graduate studies, the students of political science together with their lecturers came to the following conclusions:

1. Many people think that radio is only for entertainment and not for community building and connecting one human being with another neighbour.
2. Only thirteen per cent of the radio listeners are in Ahmednagar city.
3. Ahmednagar city has the maximum number of people who fall below the poverty line.(BPL)
4. Ahmednagar is a multicultural and multi-religious historic city.
5. Although the people are hardworking they are not able to maintain basic needs for their respective families. Facilities & schemes provided by the Government do not reach the grassroots.
6. There is  a lot of misunderstanding about AIDS/HIV and the people are not aware of their civic and social responsibilities, in regard to child labour, child marriage, civil rights and Right to information, etc.
7. Ahmednagar has its own problems but the harmony maintained by Hindus and Muslims is remarkable, the Christians group being the minority.  
 
The installation of the studio has  been undertaken by Hemant Babu, of Nomad India Dahanu and the setting up of the thirty foot tower by Global Industries, Pune. The official launch will be attended by various local authorities.

Published 10/01/2011