he Shaktipeeth Expressway, a 802-kilometre route proposes to connect Nagpur to Goa while linking various pilgrimage sites across Maharashtra
Devendra Fadnavis. File Pic
The Opposition in the Maharashtra legislative council on Wednesday urged the state government not to impose the proposed Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway on farmers, but CM Devendra Fadnavis said that the project would bring a positive change in people's lives, reported the PTI.
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The issue was discussed in the Upper House of the state legislature, during which the opposition members cited objections raised by farmers in Kolhapur and Sangli districts in Maharashtra over acquisition of their farmlands for the proposed project, according to the PTI.
The Shaktipeeth Expressway, a 802-kilometre route proposes to connect Nagpur to Goa while linking various pilgrimage sites across Maharashtra.
Farmers' concerns over land acquisition remain a key issue in its implementation.
Leader of Opposition in the House Ambadas Danve said, "We took part in a protest (over the project by farmers). Former chief minister had announced that the government would not carry out the project (amid opposition). So we need clarity on this stand," as per the PTI.
Danve was referring to a protest held in Mumbai by farmers affected by the proposed expressway project.
Responding to it, CM Fadnavis said, "The government's position is clear. We aim to construct roads...but not impose it."
CM Fadnavis said that several farmers along with Congress MLC Satej Patil and NCP MLA and minister Hasan Mushrif, had met him at the Kolhapur airport and submitted a statement signed by several farmers but none opposed it.
The Shaktipeeth Expressway is expected to positively impact five districts in Marathwada, CM Fadnavis said.
"Farmers want this route. It is not mere stubbornness. Just as the Samruddhi Expressway changed the lives across 12 districts, this expressway will also bring change," he asserted, as per the PTI.
CM Fadnavis noted that larger events are planned to promote the project.
"In villages where meetings were held, farmers contributed funds," he said.
The chief minister urged opposition members to assist the government in its land acquisition efforts, stating that compensation offered to farmers was five times its actual value.
Congress' Satej Patil said, "The chief minister has presented his views clearly. While the Shaktipeeth route will connect Nagpur and Ratnagiri, an existing road already serves this purpose."
People in Solapur and Sangli had provided land for similar projects, he said.
Patil asked the CM to meet farmers who had gathered to express their concerns about the project.
"Those who have given permission are being mentioned, but they were initially opposed to the project. The route should be reconsidered," the Congress MLC said.
During the farmers' protest over the project held at the Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, Danve said, "The project that is being carried out without taking into consideration people's feelings is of no use," the news agency reported.
On the occasion, Danve played a video clip of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's statement he made when he was the state CM, in which he had said that the government would cancel the project if people don't want it.
"I took stock of the Shaktipeeth Expressway's route alignment and found that the Nanded-Tuljapur, Mahur Nanded, Nagpur Mahur roads are in extremely good condition. If required, the existing roads can be expanded by adding another lane. The government has nothing to do with the sentiments of people, but it is concerned with the sentiments of contractors," the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader alleged, the PTI reported.
(with PTI inputs)
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