Latest news with #Nagpur-GoaShaktipeethExpressway
Indian Express
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Restart review of projects in Pune, Supriya Sule tells Ajit Pawar after inspecting under-construction bridge
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MP Supriya Sule Wedneday asked her cousin and Pune Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar to resume his weekly meetings to review development projects in the city and ensure they stay on track. She said, 'I remember the current guardian minister, who held the position even during the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) rule, used to review the projects in the Pune district every Friday. I don't know why it is not done now, but it is my request that he should restart the reviewing of projects every week and address the problems in implementations.' On Wednesday, Sule inspected a bridge being built by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) over the Mutha River in Pune. This bridge runs parallel to the existing river bridge on the Mumbai-Bengaluru bypass, and it falls in her Baramati Lok Sabha constituency. The work on the project has been halted due to a change in the road design on both sides of the river. 'The NHAI informed that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) was not cooperating on the acquisition of land for the bypass road on either side of the river as per the requirement of the new plan for widening the road from the Navale bridge to Warje. This has led to a bottleneck,' said Sule after doing the site visit. Sule also criticised the Mahayuti government for going ahead with the Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway project by taking a loan of Rs 86,000 crore at an alleged high interest rate. 'The state finance ministry has expressed concern over taking a loan for the project as it will deteriorate the financial condition of the state. The state is unable to meet the financial demands of teachers, farmers and pay the contractors for work completed, then why draw a loan for a road project which is not an emergency,' she said. The Maharashtra Cabinet in June approved the acquisition of land for the six-lane Shaktipeeth Expressway project, which was halted due to farmers' protests in Kolhapur in 2024. Sule also said that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has not responded to her despite her raising the issues of Hinjewadi. 'The Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in Hinjewadi provides employment to six lakh people directly or indirectly. The state government is not serious about the global centre and resolving its issues,' she said, adding that this might adversely impact the industries' response in the state. Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, Pune. He writes on Infrastructure, Politics, Civic issues, Sustainable Development and related stuff. He is a trekker and a sports enthusiast. Ajay has written research articles on the Conservancy staff that created a nationwide impact in framing policy to improve the condition of workers handling waste. Ajay has been consistently writing on politics and infrastructure. He brought to light the lack of basic infrastructure of school and hospital in the hometown of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde even as two private helipads were developed by the leader who mostly commutes from Mumbai to Satara in helicopter. Ajay has been reporting on sustainable development initiatives that protects the environment while ensuring infrastructure development. ... Read More
Indian Express
26-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
‘No objection from finance department': As Opposition calls for rethink, Devendra Fadnavis says Shaktipeeth Expressway still on
A day after The Indian Express reported how the Maharashtra finance department had flagged the financial burden on the state over the Rs 20,787 crore loan guarantee given for the land acquisition for the Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway, the Opposition called for a rethink. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, however, maintained that the project will move forward as the finance department has not raised any objections. 'There is no objection from the finance department. It has merely done its work of pointing out data and nothing else. Infrastructure across the world is built by availing loans,' Fadnavis said, speaking to reporters at the legislative building in Mumbai. Saying that the construction of highways strengthens and expands the economy, Fadnavis said, 'There was opposition to the Samruddhi Expressway as well, but it has changed the face of many districts. The Shaktipeeth Expressway will change the face of Marathwada and the drought-affected region of the state.' The Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway is one of the largest road infrastructure projects in the country. The proposed 802-kilometre high-speed corridor, officially known as the Maharashtra Shaktipeeth Mahamarg, will connect Pavnar in Wardha district to Patradevi in Sindhudurg, near the Maharashtra-Goa border. The project had been halted due to farmers' protests in 2024. In a note, the finance department on Tuesday raised questions over borrowing at a higher rate for the project, pointed to the financial status of the state and advised the government to rethink its Build Operate and Transfer policy for mega projects and prioritise projects by the appropriate use of available financial resources. 'Maharashtra's finance department has raised several critical points on loan guarantee extended to the Shaktipeeth Expressway. The state is staring at the potential financial mismanagement due to this project. At a time when farmers are protesting against the land acquisition for the project, such financial burden will damage the financial health of the country. It is time for the state government to rethink the project,' Supriya Sule, MP and NCP-SP working president, said. Sule said that the Maharashtra government is facing a financial crunch to provide facilities of education, health and water, but wants to move ahead with a project which would be a financial burden on the state exchequer. 'We do not want Maharashtra to get caught in financial bankruptcy. The issue needs to be raised at the national level as well,' she said. Congress MLC Satej Patil, who hails from Kolhapur and is leading the anti-Shaktipeeth expressway agitation, said that the finance department has raised questions on the financial structure of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation—it will implement the Shaktipeeth Expressway project—as well. 'It clearly shows that all is not well within the state government. There is disagreement within the state government itself over this project,' said Patil. He maintained that farmers across the state are opposing the project, and will continue to oppose it.
Time of India
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Farmers oppose Shaktipeeth Expressway in Marathwada, burn copies of govt documents announcing project
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Farmers in Marathwada, particularly in Hingoli district's Basmath taluka, have strongly opposed the Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway project over land acquisition and compensation issues. A group of farmers from Hayatnagar on Wednesday led a protest by burning copies of govt documents announcing the project. A farmer opposing the project, Ketan Sarang, said farmers would prefer to die than offer their fertile land for the project. "Many unemployed youths are returning to agriculture to earn a livelihood. While on one hand, govt has failed to offer jobs to youth, on the other hand, it is snatching the other option of farming also," he said. The Shaktipeeth Expressway is set to connect Hingoli's Aundha Nagnath Temple, a sacred Nageshwar Jyotirlinga site. However, farmers in Beed district, led by the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) of India, have strongly opposed the project, citing concerns over land acquisition and compensation. A group of farmers and PWP members on Tuesday afternoon opposed the visit of govt officials at Saygaon from Ambejogai taluka of Beed district. The govt team arrived in the village to carry out the land survey for the expressway. Local PWP members accused the district administration of using police force to suppress the protest by farmers. The Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway is scheduled to pass through 12 districts of Maharashtra, of which six are in Marathwada. The places of religious importance and other destinations from Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Beed, Latur and Dharashiv districts in Marathwada will be connected through the expressway. The state cabinet on Tuesday cleared the proposal for the Shaktipeeth Expressway. CM Devendra Fadnavis could not be reached for his comments on the latest protests in Hingoli and Beed.
Hindustan Times
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
₹20,000 crore approved for land acquisition & realignment of Nagpur-Goa expressway
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government on Tuesday decided not only to go ahead with the Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway but also to fund the complete process of land acquisition for the project. It has approved a sum of ₹ 20,787 crore for acquiring more than 7,500 hectares of land. Of the total amount, ₹ 12,000 crore will be taken as a loan from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO). A file photo of Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis with Shiv Sena leaders Subhash Desai and Diwakar Raote. (PTI photo) (PTI) The state cabinet took the decision despite strong resistance from farmers, especially those from western Maharashtra districts. During the meeting, two ministers—medical education minister Hasan Mushrif and state health minister Prakash Abitkar—expressed their reservations about taking the project ahead despite this opposition. Both are from Kolhapur district. The ministers suggested that the state government hold discussions with the affected farmers and try to find a way out of the situation. 'They told the cabinet that the Mahayuti coalition had already faced a backlash from farmers during the Lok Sabha elections,' revealed a minister privy to the development. 'This could be repeated in the upcoming polls if the state government decides to forcibly implement the project.' Taking this into consideration, the cabinet approved partial alignment of the project. 'It has approved the alignment connecting Pavnar, which falls in Wardha district, to Sangli covering more than 700 km,' revealed a senior official from the public works department (PWD). The cabinet also decided to scrap the alignment going through Shirol, Karvir, Hatkanangale, Kagal, Bhudargad and Ajara talukas of Kolhapur district. 'Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis directed the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) to prepare an alternate alignment for the remaining part of the project connecting Sangli with Sindhudurg district,' said another PWD official. 'Once this is done, the CM and the two deputy chief ministers will hold consultations with all the stakeholders—local MLAs and ministers among others—before taking a final decision on the alignment.' Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar too confirmed that the state government was planning to change the alignment. 'When the ministers expressed their concern regarding resistance from farmers and requested Fadnavis to hear them out, he assured them that there was no reason for them to continue with the project if people were opposing it,' Pawar told reporters. 'The CM also assured them that he would try to change the alignment.' The state is powering ahead with this expressway despite opposition from farmers, as it requires private agricultural land on a large scale. In the run-up to the assembly elections last year, the then chief minister Eknath Shinde had promised that the project would not be imposed on the farmers but the government changed its position after coming to power with an unprecedented majority. The 802.592-km-long expressway will connect 12 districts: Wardha, Yavatmal, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Beed, Latur, Dharashiv, Solapur, Sangli, Kolhapur and Sindhudurg. It will later be linked to the Mumbai-Goa highway close to the Goa border. The expressway will reduce travel time between Nagpur and Goa from 18 to eight hours. The expressway has also been positioned as a religious and cultural corridor aimed at enhancing pilgrimage connectivity across Vidarbha, Marathwada and western Maharashtra, as it will connect three major pilgrimage sites—the Mahalaxmi temple (Kolhapur), Tulja Bhavani Temple (Dharashiv) and Renuka Mata Shakti Peeth Temple (Nanded). The project will be executed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).
Indian Express
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Maharashtra Cabinet gives nod to acquire land, approves Rs 20,000 cr
The Maharashtra Cabinet Tuesday approved acquisition of land for the proposed Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway project, which was halted due to farmers' protests in Kolhapur in 2024. The Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also approved Rs 20,000 crore for land acquisition and planning, while the entire project cost is estimated to be Rs 80,000 crore. The proposed 802-kilometre high-speed corridor, officially known as the Maharashtra Shaktipeeth Mahamarg, will connect Pavnar in Wardha district to Patradevi in Sindhudurg, near the Maharashtra-Goa border. Once completed, the expresway will link 18 major pilgrimage destinations, including three-and-a-half Shaktipeeths, two Jyotirlingas, and spiritual centres such as Pandharpur and Ambajogai, cutting across 11 districts. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) will implement the project, with the land acquisition and initial planning process to be overseen by the Public Works Department (PWD). The Cabinet decision comes nearly six months after the Devendra Fadnavis-led government formally revived the project in January 2025, following a period of uncertainty. The previous Mahayuti government, under then CM Eknath Shinde, in June 2024 put the project on hold after mounting opposition from farmers and political leaders, including members of the ruling coalition. The primary concern was the large-scale acquisition of private agricultural land. Of the 8,419 hectares required for the project, nearly 8,100 hectares belong to individual farmers. Protests, particularly in Kolhapur and surrounding sugar belt districts, gained momentum, prompting the then government to put the project in abeyance. Just days after being sworn in, CM Fadnavis directed the PWD to resume work on the corridor, signalling renewed political will to push forward one of the most ambitious greenfield infrastructure projects in the state. Beyond transportation, the Shaktipeeth Expressway is projected as a religious and cultural corridor aimed at enhancing pilgrimage connectivity across Vidarbha, Marathwada, and western Maharashtra. The expressway will pass through Wardha, Yavatmal, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Latur, Beed, Dharashiv, Solapur, Kolhapur and Sindhudurg. Officials say the project will significantly reduce travel time, boost tourism, and support local economies in regions that remain underdeveloped or poorly connected by rail and road.
