Overview
- On July 1, farmers in Nanded, Hingoli, Parbhani, Beed, Latur and Dharashiv staged sit-ins and blocked roads to resist land surveys after the state cabinet approved acquisition funding on June 24.
- The Shaktipeeth Highway Virodhi Kruti Samiti, backed by leaders such as Raju Shetti, Vishal Patil and Kailas Patil, is demanding village-level consultations and realignment of the proposed corridor.
- Protesters warn that compensation packages fall short of replacing fertile farmland and say they will not relinquish land essential to their livelihoods.
- Local MPs, including Nanded’s Ravindra Chavan, and state finance officials have raised concerns about the project’s ₹20,787 crore cost, its ₹12,000 crore HUDCO loan and the wider fiscal impact.
- The planned 802-kilometre, six-lane greenfield expressway would link 18 major Shakti Peethas and slash Nagpur–Goa travel time from 18 hours to eight hours.