Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai

Mumbai, Feb 24: The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is set to resume its land acquisition survey for the ambitious 802-km Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway, which had been stalled last year due to intense protests before the state assembly elections.

The proposed expressway has faced strong opposition from farmers and activists, citing displacement, loss of fertile land, and inadequate compensation. The lack of a detailed environmental impact study has further fueled concerns.

With elections now over, MSRDC has confirmed that the survey will restart in two weeks across all districts except Kolhapur, which, along with Solapur and Sangli, witnessed the strongest resistance. These three districts account for 9,500 acres of the 27,000 acres required for the project.

“Land acquisition will begin immediately after the survey is completed, which is expected in the next few months,” a senior official said. The state aims to complete the expressway by 2029, reducing travel time from 21 hours to 10.5 hours. Once completed, it will be Maharashtra’s longest expressway, surpassing the 701-km Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg.

However, opposition remains strong. The Congress party has announced protests against the expressway, arguing that it will render farmers from 12 districts homeless. MLC Satej Patil has vowed to take the protest to the streets, with a march outside the state assembly on March 12 during the budget session.

Farmers in Latur have also staged demonstrations, opposing the acquisition of 481 acres of farmland. Similar protests were seen during the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway land acquisition a decade ago.

The expressway will pass through Wardha, Yavatmal, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Latur, Beed, Dharashiv, Solapur, Sangli, Kolhapur, and Sindhudurg, linking with the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway at Pavnar. Maharashtra officials are also in talks with Goa authorities to extend the project near Manohar International Airport at Mopa for better connectivity.

With protests mounting and land acquisition challenges ahead, the fate of Maharashtra’s longest expressway remains uncertain.