The Maharashtra government has issued the final notification for the proposed 856-kilometer Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway on June 9, paving the way for the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) to initiate joint surveys in 298 of the 409 villages where work remains pending.
Project Overview
The expressway is Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's flagship project, linking Vidarbha to Goa via key Shaktipeeth pilgrimage sites. So far, progress had been limited to finalizing the route alignment using drone surveys.
Government's Response
Addressing the media in Kolhapur, Minister of Higher and Technical Education Chandrakant Patil drew parallels with the Samruddhi Expressway, which faced similar resistance during its initial phase. "Once land acquisition rates and compensation are announced, likely within a week, people will come forward, just as they did earlier," he said. Patil also criticized opposition leaders, questioning their stance on land acquisition, and pointed to past projects like the Koyna dam, where rehabilitation issues remain unresolved.
Route and Cost
The controlled-access expressway will stretch from Digraj in Wardha district to Banda in Sindhudurg, passing through 13 districts, 40 talukas, and 409 villages. The estimated cost stands at Rs 1.01 lakh crore. Once complete, the expressway is expected to reduce travel time between Nagpur and Goa from around 21 hours to just eight hours. The revised alignment will traverse Wardha, Yavatmal, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Beed, Latur, Dharashiv, Solapur, Sangli, Satara, Kolhapur, and Sindhudurg districts.
Opposition and Protests
Protest groups continue to oppose the project. Girish Phonde, state coordinator of the Shaktipeeth Highway Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti, said farmers have until June 30 to file written objections to the notification. "The project is being imposed despite strong resistance. It is unnecessary and appears designed to benefit contractors and enable corruption," he alleged, urging farmers across the affected districts to submit maximum objections against land acquisition.
