Amid protests by farmers in Kolhapur district, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has begun its preparation for the Shaktipeeth Expressway project. MSRDC started measuring the work of the Nagpur-Goa expressway along the stretches in Vidarbha. Earlier, MSRDC submitted a proposal for getting permission and environmental clearance (EC) from the Minister of Forest Environment and Climate Change (MOEFCC). Officials in MSRDC said both processes are underway side by side, reported TOI.
The locals in the Vidarbha area have no opposition to the Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway project. The MSRDC said that landowners in the area, in cooperation with authorities, have realised the benefits of the project. Shaktipeeth is the second largest project after the Samrudhi Expressway, which Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced.
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The Vidarbha stretch will start from Nagpur, covering Wardha and Yavatmal districts in the first phase. In the second phase, it will enter Marathwada, covering Dharashiv, Nanded, Hingoli, Beed, and Latur districts. The final phase will cover Kolhapur and Sindhudurg, finally connecting to the Patradevi Shrine in Goa.
Sources in MSRDC told the Times of India newspaper that the measurement will be carried out in the area where there has been no protest against the construction of the project. In Kolhapur, a few farmers in several villages are against the expressway. Efforts are underway to convince the land owners in these places. The application for obtaining an EC only converts those stretches where the project does not face any opposition.
CM Devendra Fadnavis received a representation of farmers from Kolhapur district who insisted that the Shaktipeeth Expressway should be built in the district. Over the past several months, Kolhapur has seen several protests over the issue. Like Kolhapur, farmers in Parbhani district have also strongly opposed the Shaktipeeth highway.
Farmers from 12 districts protesting the Shaktipeeth Highway will reach Azad Maidan in Mumbai on March 12. The decision was made at the Shaktipeeth Anti-Shaktipeeth Conference held in Kolhapur today. The conference, attended by farmers from 12 districts, discussed the Shaktipeeth Highway issue. Congress leader Satej Patil has informed about the protest.