Maharashtra Approves ₹20,000 Cr Shaktipeeth Expressway To Connect Nagpur And Goa

The Maharashtra government has officially granted administrative approval for the ambitious Shaktipeeth Expressway project, issuing a government resolution (GR) on August 26. The 802-kilometre access-controlled greenfield expressway, designed to enhance connectivity and promote religious tourism, will connect all major 'shaktipeeths' across the state. Stretching from Paunar in Wardha to Patradevi in Sindhudurg on the Goa border, the highway is expected to reduce travel time between Nagpur and Goa from 18 hours to just 8.

The state cabinet had earlier sanctioned ₹20,787 crore for the project in June. As per the approved plan, the expressway will traverse 12 districts and impact 370 villages along its route.

Despite the government's push, the project has run into stiff resistance in Kolhapur district, where the proposed highway passes through fertile agricultural land. Farmers in the region have intensified their protests, voicing concerns that large-scale land acquisition will destroy farmland, severely affect agricultural output, and threaten their livelihoods.