Nanded Farmers Submit Blood-Written Memorandum Seeking Cancellation Of Shaktipeeth Highway

Nanded: While the world welcomed the New Year 2026 with celebrations, farmers affected by the proposed Shaktipeeth Highway project in Nanded district marked the occasion with anguish. In a deeply disturbing protest, they submitted a memorandum written in their own blood to the Chief Minister through the district collector, demanding that the Shaktipeeth Highway project be permanently cancelled. Failing this, the farmers have sought permission for what they termed ‘collective voluntary death,’ reflecting the depth of their despair.

Farmers from the Ardhapur and Malegaon areas fear that the proposed highway alignment will devastate highly fertile irrigated land, where crops like bananas and turmeric exported directly overseas, are cultivated. These lands fall within the benefit zone of the Lower and Upper Penganga irrigation projects. To save their livelihoods, farmers have been waging an intense agitation for nearly two years. After earlier resisting land measurements by administrative teams, frustration over what they call the government’s repressive approach has now driven them to this extreme form of protest.

The Shaktipeeth Highway Kruti Samiti questioned the government’s double standards. Coordinators Subhash Moralwar and Satish Kulkarni pointed out that the government has recently indicated in the legislature that the highway alignment may be altered in Solapur, Sangli and Kolhapur districts due to the availability of parallel routes.

“If that logic applies there, why is it ignored here?” they asked, noting that National Highway 361 (Nagpur–Ratnagiri) already passes just 3 to 8 km from their region. “Why must only our fertile lands be sacrificed?”

The blood-written memorandum bears the signatures of over 200 affected farmers, including action committee coordinators Subhash Moralwar, Satish Kulkarni, Gajanan Timewar, Pramod Ingole and Kachru Mudhal, along with several others. The committee has warned that if the government fails to find an immediate solution, the agitation will be intensified further, holding the administration responsible for the consequences.