BJP leader demands probe into illegal excavation during construction of Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi expressway

At least 80 to 90 acres land was dug up illegally during the construction of the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA has claimed.

According to a report of PTI, BJP MLA Haribhau Bagde has written to the administration regarding illegal digging carried out in his constituency Phulambri.

The Deogiri Cooperative sugar factory has around 135 acres of land at Sawangi in Phulambri. While 20 acres had been acquired Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway project, illegal excavation was carried out on the remaining land, which has been left unleveled, Bagde told reporters.

Illegal excavation was carried out in nearly 80-90 acres of land. The authorities should find out if the excavated soil was used for the expressway project or elsewhere, he added.

A 54-km stretch of 701-km long Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway will pass through Aurangabad district. The first phase of the project from Nagpur to Shirdi was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month.