Speaking in the state legislative council Wednesday, CM Fadnavis said there were more farmers in favour of the project in the district than against it and that the Shaktipeeth Expressway was not just a road but “a project that will change the face of five districts just like Samruddhi Expressway did”.
“We will not force the project on anyone. We will sit and understand the issues of farmers. But while some farmers are protesting there are more farmers who are planning to have gatherings to show their support to the project,” Fadnavis said in the council while responding to a question by Shiv Sena (UBT)‘s Ambadas Danve, leader of the upper house.
State Govt wants to build the Shaktipeeth Expressway, but not impose it !
राज्य सरकारला शक्तीपीठ महामार्ग करायचा आहे, मात्र तो लादायचा नाही…
हा महामार्ग केवळ शक्तीपीठे किंवा आस्थेची केंद्रे जोडणार्या महामार्गापुरता मर्यादित नसून मराठवाडा, विदर्भ आणि पश्चिम महाराष्ट्रातील… pic.twitter.com/Ced2HMspMV— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) March 12, 2025
At 802 km, the Shaktipeeth Expressway will be even longer than the Nagpur-Mumbai Expressway, popularly known as Samruddhi Mahamarg, which is 701 km and is touted to be India’s longest. The expressway is supposed to start from Pavnar in the Wardha district and end at Patradevi on the Maharashtra-Goa state border.
The Rs 86,300-crore project would pass through 11 districts, connecting different districts of Vidarbha, Marathwada and the Konkan regions such as Wardha, Yavatmal, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Latur, Beed, Osmanabad, Solapur, Kolhapur and Sindhudurg, right at the Maharashtra-Goa border.
It would also connect many of Maharashtra’s pilgrimage destinations such as Sevagram, Karanja Lad, Mahur, Aundha Nagnath, Nanded’s Takht Sachkand, Gurdwara, Parli-Vaijnath, Ambajogai, Tuljapur, Pandharpur, Kunkeshwar, among others.
Last year, ahead of the state assembly polls, leaders such as Sanjay Mandlik from the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Hassan Mushrif from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, and Dhananjay Mahadik from the BJP raised concerns over the local opposition to the Shaktipeeth project.
Mandlik, who had unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections from Kolhapur as a Mahayuti candidate, had even given a memorandum to the then CM Shinde to scrap the project. Mushrif had told reporters that the Shaktipeeth project was among the major reasons the Mahayuti lost in at least 12 Lok Sabha constituencies, especially Kolhapur.
Mahadik said more clarity was needed on the project.
Speaking to ThePrint Wednesday, Mahadik said, “Last year there was no clarity about how the road is going to be aligned. The Opposition campaigned on the Shaktipeeth expressway spreading a fake narrative that it will adversely impact farmers without knowing the plans. Among the protesters, there are more Congress workers than farmers.”
ThePrint reached Mandlik and Mushrif over call for comment. The report will be updated if and when they respond.
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Fadnavis govt’s push for Shaktipeeth project
Speaking in the council, Fadnavis said that more than a thousand farmers from the Kolhapur district have submitted letters of support for the Shaktipeeth project.
“Even when the Samruddhi Mahamarg was proposed, there was ample opposition to land acquisition for the project. But, then, once farmers understood that they were getting adequate compensation, they all came on board.”
The Samruddhi project had met with stiff opposition from farmers who were strongly opposed to land acquisition. Back then too, the undivided Shiv Sena, which was part of the ruling coalition, was backing the protesters until the opposition to the project dwindled. The project turned out to be one where land acquisition was completed very swiftly within two years.
The people affected by the project got five times the value of land, going over and above the stipulated four times under the Land Acquisition Act, in addition to compensation for loss of wells, orchards and other features on the farm.
Congress leader Satej Patil, speaking in the upper house, said that there are several major roads already in existence such as a Nagpur-Ratnagiri road and connectivity to the districts left out can be boosted by creating feeders and connectors to the existing roads.
Fadnavis, however, said new roads can connect neglected areas of the state and spur growth.
“The Nagpur-Mumbai road was already there, but why did we make a greenfield road? Because after access opens up neglected districts get connectivity. Why are we making a Delhi-Mumbai new greenfield highway? Because neglected regions get connected. Roads are the engine of development,” Fadnavis said.
On Monday, the state budget also featured the Shaktipeeth Expressway with Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, in charge of the state finance portfolio, saying land acquisition for the project is underway.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
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