Will continue to protest, say farmers

Mumbai: Despite the state government announcing record compensations for proposed Samruddhi Mahamarg — connecting Mumbai and Nagpur — farmers have stuck to their stand and are unwilling to give up their land for the project.

“Who’s going to be benefited from this project? There are parallel roads, which can be widened and built properly. Still, the government is pushing for this project because there are few officers who have already bought land nearby the proposed route. Therefore, we will not give our land even if the state government comes with any kind of compensation,” said farmers’ leader Baban Harne.

The expressway is said to be CM Devendra Fadnavis’ pet project. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) will construct the 706-kilometre-long project. The state government has declared highest ever compensation for the farmers who will give up their land. However, farmers have refused to budge and will continue to oppose the project.

Political parties too have waded in the controversy and are opposing the project. Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) president Sharad Pawar had addressed a gathering of farmers in Aurangabad in the month of June.