Ex-MP Shetti questions need for Shaktipeeth Expressway; dares CM Fadnavis for open debate over it

Pune, Jan 1 (PTI) Former MP and farmer leader Raju Shetti has questioned the need for the Maharashtra-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway project, and dared Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to engage in a public debate with him over it instead of sending delegations to him.

Continuing his opposition to the project, Shetti sought to know the need to build a parallel route when the Nagpur-Ratnagiri state highway already exists.

The Rs 86,300 crore Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway is 810 kilometres long and will pass through 12 districts of Maharashtra.

"Instead of sending delegations to me regarding the Shaktipeeth Expressway, the chief minister should personally come to any one TV channel or a public hearing and engage in a face-to-face discussion on the issue...Kindly tell me the date and time, I am ready to discuss," Shetti in a social media post.

The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader added that on the instructions of CM Fadnavis, people from various parts of the state have been calling him and coming to meet him to present their views in support of the Shaktipeeth Expressway.

"These people are being sent (to me) after being given a single, identical script explaining why the Shaktipeeth Expressway is needed," he said.

He added that he was not opposed to the development.

"However, why is CM Fadnavis insisting on constructing the Shaktipeeth Expressway parallel to the already existing Ratnagiri-Nagpur Expressway by spending Rs 50,000 crore?" he asked.

Despite raising objections multiple times, the CM has not given any clarification on the points he had raised, Shetti alleged.

The Ratnagiri-Nagpur road is currently running at a loss. Since the Shaktipeeth Expressway is parallel to the highway, if the state government still wants to build the Shaktipeeth Expressway, then IIT Roorkee and IIT Hyderabad - both of which work on research and development in the road sector - should present a report on future traffic on the road, toll collection period, toll rates and the impact on toll recovery of the project cost incurred by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), he said.

He also demanded that the government should come up with a white paper on the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway.

"If the CM considers himself 'Mr. Clean', then a white paper on the total expenditure incurred on the Samruddhi Expressway should be presented before the people of the state," he said. PTI SPK NP