Mumbai, Dec 8 (PTI) Farmer leader Raju Shetti on Sunday slammed the Maharashtra government over the proposed 802-km Shaktipeeth Expressway, alleging inflated land acquisition expenses and poor compensation to farmers.
In a post on X, Shetti, who heads the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, accused the government of profiteering at farmers’ cost.
The planned high-speed carriageway will connect Pavnar in Wardha district in the Vidarbha region to Patradevi in the coastal Sindhudurg in Konkan. It will pass through 12 districts before entering neighbouring Goa.
The expressway is estimated to cost Rs 86,000 crore, which translates to Rs 107 crore per kilometre. The former MP said it exceeds the Rs 20-25 crore per kilometre benchmark set by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for land acquisition.
This means the state would spend an additional Rs 75-76 crore per kilometre, said the farmer leader.
He claimed that farmers’ compensation for the Shaktipeeth project would be just 40 per cent of what was offered for the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway.
“This government is determined to impose the Shaktipeeth Mahamarg (on farmers) at any cost, but we will fight it tooth and nail.” Shetti also criticised the toll revenue model, saying the benefits won’t passed on to the farmers who will surrender their land for the expressway.
“Why are farmers, who will lose their land permanently, not given a share in this revenue generated through toll collection? Why should only the government benefit,” he asked.
After he took charge as the chief minister of Maharashtra for the third time, Devendra Fadnavis recently reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the Shaktipeeth project, which aims to connect key places of worship and boost religious tourism in Maharashtra.
Shetti alleged that the “extravagant” expenditure reflects a preference for mega infrastructure projects over resolving farmers’ grievances. PTI ND NR
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