Mumbai: Mahayuti government's decision to move forward with the proposed Shaktipeeth Expressway connecting Nagpur and Goa as met with disagreements from farmers despite a previous assurance given before the Assembly elections that the project wouldn't be imposed, farmers from 12 districts of the state are preparing to protest at Azad Maidan in the city on March 12.
The 802-km expressway was unveiled in March 2023 by ex-Finance Minister Devendra Fadnavis during the first budget presentation of the Mahayuti government. The expressway, estimated to cost approximately ₹83,600 crore, will pass through 12 districts in Vidarbha, Marathwada, and western Maharashtra.
Since then, the farmers in these regions have opposed the project, refusing to give up their land for the highway, making Kolhapur the center of protests.
In the course of these protests, former chief minister Eknath Shinde announced ahead of the Assembly elections that the government would not impose the expressway project on farmers and implied that its route would change in the Kolhapur district.
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However, following their return to power, the Mahayuti administration, led by Devendra Fadnavis, has officially announced its plans to move forward with the project, leading to significant worry among the farmers, who have decided to take their protest to the capital.
To show their unity and strength, he mentioned that MLAs and MLCs, including Congress leader Satej Patil, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Kailas Patil, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Patil, and other personalities like former MP Raju Shetti, will be attending the protest as well.
