Proposed Shaktipeeth Expressway to link Nagpur-Goa faces farmers' wrath, Maha Vikas Aghadi joins stir

Mumbai: The protests against the proposed Shaktipeeth Expressway - which would connect the central Indian hub of Nagpur to the tourism-state of Goa, is building up even as the Maharashtra government has reiterated its commitment to build what would be India’s longest expressway.

In the months to come, the Shaktipeeth Expressway is likely to snowball into a big political issue in Maharashtra.

The 802 km six-lane expressway is expected to cost around Rs 86,300 crore.

After the Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication Expressway, which is formally known as Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, a 701-km-long international class super highway, the Shaktipeeth Expressway is a big marquee project for the Maha Yuti-NDA dispensation.

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) will be the nodal agency for the mega-project.

As part of the protests, villagers and farmers from 12 districts of Maharashtra staged a dharna at the historic Azad Maidan in Mumbai on Wednesday coinciding with the budget session of the State legislature.

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi comprising Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar-headed NCP (SP) along with farmers’ leader and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana founder Raju Shetti has backed the protestors by joining them at the Azad Maidan.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has held a series of meetings with Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar for the revival of the project.

Pawar, who is the Finance Minister, had announced the project in the Budget 2024-25 when Shinde was the CM.

However, it had to be temporarily put on hold because of protests ahead of the 2024 Vidhan Sabha elections.

After the Fadnavis-headed government came to power, the CM revived the project.

In his address to the budget session’s joint sitting, last week, Governor CP Radhakrishnan announced the plans of the project.

“My government has decided to undertake the construction of Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway. This expressway will be completed after taking all persons into confidence,” he said.

In the Budget 2025-26 tabled by Pawar a couple of days ago, he mentioned it. “Land acquisition process for the Maharashtra Shaktipeeth Highway, which stretches from Pavnar in Wardha district to Patradevi in Sindhudurg district is in progress,” he said.

The Expressway originating from the central India hub of Nagpur will slash travel time to Goa from 18-20 hours to just 8-10 hours. By enhancing connectivity across 12 districts, it aims to boost tourism, regional development, and provide easier access to spiritual sites.

The highway will pass through 12 districts of Maharashtra and one district of Goa.

It will pass through three Shakti Peethas of Mahalaxmi (Kolhapur), Tulja Bhawani (Dharashiv) and Patradevi (Goa), two Jyotirlingas of Aundha Nagnath (Hingoli) and Parli Vaijnath (Beed), the historic town of Pandharpur which houses the the Shri Vitthal-Rukmini Mandir - dedicated to Lord Vithoba - an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and his consort Goddess Rakhumai.

“The farmers are protecting their land,” said Shaktipeeth Highway Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti coordinator Girish Phonde.