Nagpur:Farmers protesting against the proposed Shaktipeeth Highway, which aims to connect Nagpur to Goa, have prompted a significant response from the government. Dada Bhuse, the Chairman of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and a minister from the Shinde faction, announced that there will be no forced land acquisition for the project. Bhuse clarified that further actions regarding the highway will only proceed after all farmer concerns and doubts are fully addressed. This careful approach reflects the government’s commitment to considering the strong opposition from farmers and ensuring their interests are protected before moving forward with the Shaktipeeth Highway development.
Earlier, it was reported that wary after their Lok Sabha defeat in seats along the proposed route, the BJP-Sena government stalled the Nagpur-Goa highway project. Days after the Lok Sabha defeat in districts along the proposed route and amid farmer protests, the Maharashtra government has put on hold work on the 802-km greenfield highway project until the Assembly elections later this year. The project, estimated to cost the state exchequer Rs 80,000 crore, has faced significant opposition.
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A senior government functionary involved with the project noted, “We have received reports that farmers and individuals affected by the project are protesting in every district… It has been conveyed to the administration to not acquire land for at least the next 3-4 months. After the Assembly elections (in October), the new government will decide on the fate of this project.”
In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the ruling coalition lost in 10 out of 11 districts through which the highway is planned to pass. This defeat appears to have influenced the decision to delay the project, especially with the Assembly elections just months away. Opposition to the project was a major issue in Kolhapur, which has the maximum area of irrigated land. During the campaign, farmer leader and Hatkanangale candidate Raju Shetti warned the state government against land acquisition. Following the poll results, both the newly-elected MP from Kolhapur and candidates from the losing side joined the protests.
On Tuesday, hundreds of farmers in Kolhapur took to the streets to oppose the project. Last week, ruling Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Mandlik met with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and handed him a memorandum against the highway. Mandlik, who lost to Congress’ Shahu Maharaj Chhatrapati in the Lok Sabha election, stated, “This road will lead to a lot of loss of land for farmers. Instead, they can create smaller bypass roads to connect the pilgrim centres.”
Shahu Maharaj emphasized, “The road was planned without anyone demanding it. It will destroy farmland and jeopardize the interests of farmers.” Medical Education Minister and NCP leader Hasan Mushrif also cited the Shaktipeeth Expressway as a factor in the ruling alliance’s defeat.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Nanded, Ashok Chavan, echoed the farmers’ concerns in a letter to Shinde. “Not just in Nanded, but farmers are protesting it in every district. I have spoken to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Minister Dada Bhuse about it. They have agreed to stop the work until further notice,” Chavan said.
