Nashik: District collector Ayush Prasad has appointed resident district collector Rohit Rajput to investigate allegations of corruption and breach of official confidentiality within the Nashik Ring Road project. The appointment follows directives from the chief minister's secretariat. The probe was instituted after a complaint by MLA Saroj Ahire to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, alleging that consultants purchased land just before the alignment notification and engineered it for personal gains. Rajput must submit his report within 15 days.
Complaint Details
"MLA Deolali Saroj Ahire filed a complaint on June 9, 2026, alleging that the director of a firm — a consultant engaged by Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (MSIDCL) — had used information from a publicly funded planning process for personal gains," Prasad said. The firm was engaged by MSIDCL for the project funded by the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority. Officials stated that the directors bought land in Gaulane village in November 2025.
"The land parcels bought in Gaulane village in November were completely missing from the public acquisition records published by MSIDCL, but were abruptly included after 10 days," another senior district administration official said. "Part of it was mentioned in acquisition, and the remaining land holding gained direct, premium highway frontage, immediately inflating the market value into tens of crores," the official added.
Report Submission
Following the June 12 directives from the chief minister's secretariat, the RDC will deliver the final report in a sealed cover to the Managing Director of MSIDCL.
Farmer Protest Against Land Acquisition
Farmers from Gaulane and Ambe Bahula villages are fiercely opposing the Nashik Ring Road land acquisition due to extremely low compensation and assaults on farmers in Dari, Matori, and Mungsara villages. The farmers will organize a rasta roko protest on Tuesday at Vilholi.
"An indefinite hunger strike has been underway since May 26, 2026, at Nashik, Panchavati, and Ramkund, protesting against the illegal and forceful acquisition of fertile, irrigated agricultural lands under the guise of Kumbh Mela developmental works. But since nobody is paying attention, we are left with no choice but to resort to rasta roko to attract the government's attention," said Kailas Khandbahale.
