Only a ‘handful’ of people opposing Shaktipeeth, says Fadnavis

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said only a handful of people are opposing the Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth expressway. Speaking to reporters during his Nanded tour, the CM said he spoke to all the MLAs from the region, and they support the expressway.
"MLAs will also facilitate our talks with the action committee (against Shaktipeeth expressway). The meeting will take place shortly," Fadnavis said.
The CM's comments hint at a possible govt push for the Shaktipeeth expressway, which is facing resistance from a section of landowners over land acquisition issues. Notably, some Mahayuti politicians also spoke against the expressway ahead of the recent assembly elections in Maharashtra. BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Chavan, who hails from Nanded, was among the politicians who spoke against the project. Chavan said the expressway should not come up if farmers feel that it is taking shape at the cost of their interests.
The nearly 802km Shaktipeeth expressway is expected to pass through different parts of Maharashtra, including the Marathwada districts of Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Beed, Dharashiv and Beed, connecting popular shrines and pilgrim sites in these districts.
Meanwhile, Fadnavis said the Opposition's criticism of the Rs 4,004 crore allocation for the bullet train project in Maharashtra as a "low budgetary provision" was out of ignorance. "The allocation covers only the cost towards the construction. It is in addition to the annual railway budget for Maharashtra. The Opposition members can understand the difference if they learn and apply their minds, but they don't want to do that," he said.
The CM also said police would react to the killing of a 45-year-old civilian by Maoists in the Gadchiroli district in a befitting manner within a month. "The killing took place out of frustration among Maoists. Many Maoists are surrendering, and those who are not surrendering are getting neutralised," he said.
Fadnavis, who was at Hadgaon in Nanded for the inauguration of the renovated temple of the Mahanubhav sect, said all major shrines of the Mahanubhav sect in Maharashtra would be conserved and developed.