Shaktipeeth Highway Controversy Intensifies as Farmers Reject Alignment Change
The long-standing dispute over the Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Highway, also known as the Pavnar-Patradevi corridor, has reignited with fresh intensity. This follows a statement by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis indicating a potential change in the highway's alignment, a move that has failed to appease protesting farmers who remain staunchly opposed to the entire project.
Farmers Organize Major Protest, Demand Complete Project Scrapping
In response to the chief minister's announcement, the Anti-Shaktipeeth Highway Committee has mobilized for a significant demonstration. They have scheduled a protest march for February 23, starting from Budhgaon village and proceeding to the Sangli district collectorate. The core demand is unequivocal: the complete cancellation of the Shaktipeeth highway project, not merely an adjustment to its proposed route.
A crucial meeting of opposing farmers was convened on Sunday evening in Sangli to solidify plans. Umesh Deshmukh, a representative of the Anti-Shaktipeeth Highway Committee, addressed the gathering, articulating the farmers' deep-seated concerns.
"The proposed Shaktipeeth highway will directly impact 19 villages across the district," Deshmukh stated. "The overwhelming majority of farmers in these communities are firmly against its construction. While we acknowledge the chief minister's offer to alter the alignment, this does not address our fundamental issues. Even with a modified layout, a parallel highway will still be built. Changing the drawing on paper will not mitigate the severe risk of floods that this project introduces."
He further elaborated on the tangible threats to agriculture, emphasizing that irrigated farmland would be acquired, and the highway would bisect farms, creating insurmountable logistical and operational problems for farmers. Therefore, the committee insists the only acceptable resolution is the project's outright termination.
Farmers at the meeting specified that under the new alignment proposal, the highway would traverse through Khanapur, Kadegaon, and Walva talukas within Sangli district, affecting these areas profoundly.
Pro-Highway Faction Advocates for Original Alignment
Simultaneously, a counter-movement led by Sambhaji Bhide of Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan and the Pro Shaktipeeth Highway Committee is gaining momentum. This group is actively campaigning for the highway to be constructed strictly according to its original planned alignment.
They have decided to conduct a series of public meetings across Sangli, Solapur, and Kolhapur districts to rally support and formally present their demands to the state leadership. Addressing a supportive gathering of farmers from these three districts, Bhide made their position clear.
"We are committed to holding meetings in every affected district to advocate for the Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth highway to be built as per the old drawing," Bhide declared. "We will present the case of the farmers who support this development directly before Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and both deputy chief ministers. The political voice and votes of the farmers from Sangli, Kolhapur, and Solapur must be counted and respected in this decision."
The pro-highway meeting saw attendance from several corporators of the Sangli Miraj Kupwad Municipal Corporation, alongside farmers and members of Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, indicating organized local support for the infrastructure project.
The situation presents a complex standoff, with the state government caught between vehement opposition demanding cancellation and organized advocacy insisting on the project's completion as originally envisioned. The planned protest march on February 23 is poised to be a critical flashpoint in this ongoing regional development conflict.
