Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Jadhav on Monday alleged that the Maharashtra government’s land acquisition for the Maharashtra–Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway would deprive farmers of their primary source of livelihood.

Jadhav was addressing a farmers’ protest against the project in Parbhani district, while similar agitations were reported from parts of Beed.

The proposed Nagpur–Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway, estimated to cost Rs 86,300 crore, will span about 810 km across 12 districts of Maharashtra and is expected to cut travel time between Nagpur and Goa to around eight hours.

At the protest site, the Parbhani MP claimed that fertile, ancestral farmland was being taken over for the project, which he alleged would ultimately benefit private interests. He accused the government of facilitating mineral transportation from Vidarbha to Goa through the expressway under the guise of development.

“These lands sustain farming families across generations. By acquiring them, the government is stripping cultivators of their livelihood,” Jadhav said, adding that farmers would receive inadequate compensation in return.

Questioning the necessity of a new expressway, he argued that existing roads in the state have already been upgraded and could meet transportation needs.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also targeted Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, recalling his earlier opposition to the project. “He had once spoken about scrapping the Shaktipeeth Expressway. What has changed now?” Jadhav asked, invoking the legacy of Bal Thackeray and urging leaders to stand with the people.

Jadhav further alleged that the construction of such mega highways was being used as a pretext for corruption, while farmers bore the brunt of the consequences.