The Maharashtra Cabinet Tuesday approved land acquisition and planning for the proposed Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway, reviving a project that had previously been halted due to farmer protests in Kolhapur.
The proposed 802-km high-speed corridor, officially known as the Maharashtra Shaktipeeth Mahamarg, will connect Pavnar in Wardha district to Patradevi in Sindhudurg, near the Maharashtra-Goa border. Once completed, the expresway will span the length of the state, linking 18 major pilgrimage destinations, including three-and-a-half Shaktipeeths, two Jyotirlingas, and spiritual centres such as Pandharpur and Ambajogai, cutting across 11 districts of the state.
In the Cabinet meeting, the government approved a financial provision of Rs 20,000 crore specifically for project planning and land acquisition. The project will be implemented through a state-run infrastructure corporation, with the land acquisition and initial planning process to be overseen by the Public Works Department (PWD).
The Cabinet’s decision comes nearly six months after the Devendra Fadnavis-led government formally revived the project in January 2025, following a period of uncertainty. The previous Mahayuti government, under then CM Eknath Shinde, in June 2024 put the project on hold after mounting opposition from farmers and political leaders, including members of the ruling coalition.
The primary concern was the large-scale acquisition of private agricultural land. Of the 8,419 hectares required for the project, nearly 8,100 hectares belong to individual farmers. Protests, particularly in Kolhapur and surrounding sugar belt districts, gained momentum, prompting the then government to place the project in abeyance.
Just days after being sworn in, CM Fadnavis directed the PWD to resume work on the corridor, signalling renewed political will to push forward with one of the state’s most ambitious greenfield infrastructure projects.
Beyond transportation, the Shaktipeeth Expressway is being positioned as a religious and cultural corridor aimed at enhancing pilgrimage connectivity across Vidarbha, Marathwada, and western Maharashtra. The expressway will pass through Wardha, Yavatmal, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Latur, Beed, Dharashiv, Solapur, Kolhapur, and Sindhudurg.
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While Rs 20,000 crore has now been allocated for land acquisition and planning, the entire project cost is estimated at around Rs 80,000 crore. Officials say the project will significantly reduce travel time, boost tourism, and support local economies in regions that remain underdeveloped or poorly connected by rail and road.
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