Maharashtra: Shaktipeeth Highway Finally Gets Green Signal, CM Fadnavis Issues Directives
Maharashtra: Shaktipeeth Highway Finally Gets Green Signal, CM Fadnavis Issues Directives
Mumbai: The land acquisition process for the Shaktipeeth Expressway, which had been halted, will resume soon. The project, aimed at reducing travel time from Nagpur to Goa to 10 hours, will begin land acquisition in 11 districts, excluding areas in Kolhapur where there is opposition to the highway.
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has initiated the Nagpur to Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway project, based on the successful model of the Samruddhi Expressway. This expressway, costing ₹86,000 crore, will be the largest highway in the state, stretching over 805 kilometers. The land acquisition process for the project started in 2024, and an environmental impact assessment was submitted to the Central Environment Ministry and the state government for approval. However, due to opposition in Kolhapur and Sangli, the state government had ordered the suspension of the process. In September 2024, the government had revoked the land acquisition notification.
Now, the state government has greenlit the project, and MSRDC has been instructed to expedite its progress. In line with this directive, MSRDC submitted an environmental clearance proposal on January 10, 2025, to both the central and state governments for approval. With this approval, the land acquisition process is set to begin in the next week.
For the 805 km highway, 9,300 hectares of land in 12 districts are required. However, 8,200 hectares will be acquired, excluding 1,100 hectares in Kolhapur where opposition persists. The project will require ₹12,000 crore for land acquisition.
In the coming months, necessary permits for land acquisition, environmental, forest, and other approvals will be obtained to move the project forward. Once a significant portion of the land acquisition is completed, the process for awarding construction contracts will begin.
