Shaktipeeth Expressway's Per Km Cost Significantly Higher Than NHAI Norms: Shetti.

Former MP and farmers' leader Raju Shetti has raised concerns over the proposed Shaktipeeth Expressway, questioning its significantly higher per-kilometer cost compared to national highway projects undertaken by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

In a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shetti pointed out that while NHAI has spent ₹35 crore per km on certain recent highway projects, the Maharashtra government has pegged the cost of the Shaktipeeth Expressway at ₹107 crore per km in its project report.

“The estimated cost is astonishingly high. We compared it with the ongoing Nagpur-Ratnagiri highway, which runs parallel to the proposed expressway and already serves the same purpose of connecting religious sites,” Shetti said.

Meanwhile, Fadnavis recently stated that since MLAs from the constituencies along the proposed route have no objections, the project will move forward. However, farmers opposing the expressway have countered this, accusing the government of misleading the public.

On Saturday, farmers from Sangli staged a unique protest by writing letters in their own blood to Fadnavis, demanding the project be scrapped. Despite this, the government has directed local authorities to explore alternative route alignments to push the project forward.

The Shaktipeeth Expressway is planned as an 805-km highway connecting Nagpur to Goa through 12 districts, with an estimated total cost of ₹85,000 crore.

ET