Banda/Nagpur: Tempers flared in Banda on Wednesday when agitated farmers confronted officials from the Land Records Department who had arrived for a land survey as part of the proposed Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Highway project. The farmers accused the officials of carrying out the survey without issuing prior notices or addressing key concerns related to the land acquisition process.
The officials were left speechless when the villagers demanded to know under what authority the land survey was being conducted without notifying the affected landowners. The farmers insisted that the government first provide complete information about the proposed highway project and clarify all doubts before proceeding with any survey.
Gold Rate
20 May 2025
In protest, the villagers halted the land measurement work and demanded that the Sawantwadi Sub-Divisional Officer hold a meeting in Banda to answer all their queries. Following the demand, the land survey was suspended.
The land acquisition process for the proposed Pawnar-Patradevi (Nagpur-Goa) Shaktipeeth Highway is currently underway. However, on Wednesday, Land Records officials reached Banda’s Panwal area to conduct a survey without issuing any prior notices to the affected farmers.
On learning about the activity, a large group of farmers rushed to the site and questioned the officials. When asked who had authorized the survey, the officials claimed that notices had been sent to the concerned landowners. However, the farmers present firmly denied receiving any such communication, leaving the officials unable to respond.
Local leaders including Banda Sarpanch Priyanka Naik, Adali Sarpanch Parag Gavkar, Madhukar Desai, Balu Sawant, and Javed Khatib took a strong stand in support of the farmers. They demanded that the authorities first resolve the farmers’ concerns.
The villagers pointed out that land in Banda had already been acquired for various previous projects, leaving many of them as small or marginal landholders. The Banda Gram Sabha had passed a resolution opposing the highway project, and copies of the resolution had been submitted to all relevant departments. Despite this, officials arriving to conduct the survey was seen as an act of administrative high-handedness.
Speaking on behalf of the farmers, Pramod Kamat said, “We have already expressed our concerns over the potential damage caused by the Shaktipeeth Highway to our deity, through our MP Narayan Rane. We also have faith in our Guardian Minister, local MLA, and other senior leaders of the Mahayuti alliance who have assured us support. However, if such processes continue without informing us, we will escalate the matter to our senior leadership.”
Prominent villagers and activists present during the protest included Rajesh Virnodkar, Smita Naik, Prasad Gavkar, Uttam Desai, Raghoba Desai, Deepika Degwekar, Narayan Naik, Mangesh Desai, Atul Bondre, Avinash Pandit, Divakar Degwekar, Jaywant Gaytode, Yashada Desai, Shivam Kamat, Abhay Desai, Rajendra Mahajan, Prashant Sukhatankar, Shambhavi Gaytode, Pravin Satoskar, Dnyaneshwar Sawant, Narayan Pitre, Ravindra Gawas, Sameer Pelpekar, and others.
