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Marathwada Farmers Block Roads as Shaktipeeth Expressway Land Surveys Begin

Farmers say the expressway’s surveys threaten their livelihoods, prompting calls for route revisions, deeper fiscal scrutiny by state finance officials.

In Sangli district, hundreds of protesters gathered at Ankali Phata and blocked traffic on the Sangli-Kolhapur Highway, causing major disruptions. (HT)
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Shaktipeeth Expressway stir: Farmers from 12 districts block roads, hwys

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.