In a powerful act of resistance, farmers across 12 Maharashtra districts plan to hoist the national flag in their fields on Independence Day, August 15, 2025, to protest the proposed ₹86,300 crore Shaktipeeth Expressway, which they fear will devastate fertile agricultural land and disrupt rural livelihoods. The campaign, under the slogan “The tricolour flutters in our field, Shaktipeeth has no place in our farmland,” aims to send a resounding message to the state government.
The decision emerged from a virtual meeting of the Shaktipeeth Expressway Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti on August 9, 2025, attended by farmers, activists, and public representatives from affected districts, including Wardha, Yavatmal, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Beed, Latur, Dharashiv, Solapur, Sangli, Kolhapur, and Sindhudurg. Congress MLC Satej Patil, a key figure in the agitation, described the protest as a symbolic demand for “freedom” from a project threatening the agrarian backbone of Maharashtra.
The 802-km, six-lane greenfield expressway, approved by the Maharashtra cabinet in June 2025 with an initial allocation of ₹20,787 crore, is designed to connect Nagpur to Patradevi on the Goa border, slashing travel time from 18 to 8 hours. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) oversees the project, with HUDCO providing a ₹12,000 crore loan to acquire approximately 7,500 hectares of land. Proponents claim it will boost tourism and connectivity by linking sacred Shaktipeeths and Jyotirlingas, fostering rural development.
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However, farmers argue the project endangers over 27,000 acres of fertile, irrigated land, impacting more than 55,000 agrarian families. Former MP Raju Shetti, leader of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, criticized the expressway’s redundancy, noting its alignment runs parallel to the existing Ratnagiri-Nagpur National Highway (NH166), with distances as close as 2 to 30 km. “At a time when cultivable land is shrinking, this project is a betrayal of farmers,” Shetti said, alleging it primarily benefits contractors and politicians.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Vinayak Raut echoed this, claiming the project serves vested interests, while MLA Kailas Patil sarcastically remarked it might be a “dream” or “cream” for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Satej Patil highlighted the cost escalation from ₹86,000 crore to ₹1.06 lakh crore, urging the government to prioritize underdeveloped regions and farmer loan waivers instead.
The protest extends beyond Independence Day. Farmers plan to pass anti-expressway resolutions in gram sabhas on August 15 and launch a signature campaign starting in 10 villages of Kolhapur South, as announced by former MLA Ruturaj Patil. Additionally, they will join a nationwide agitation by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha on August 13 at Bindu Chowk in Kolhapur. Environmental concerns, including risks to eco-sensitive zones and flood-prone areas in Kolhapur, Sangli, and Satara, further fuel opposition.
This movement underscores a broader struggle for rural livelihoods and sustainable development, with farmers vowing to escalate protests if their demands are ignored.
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