Farmers threaten suicide to oppose ‘Shaktipeeth’ survey in Latur

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Tension prevailed in Morwad village of Renapur taluka in Latur district on Tuesday after a group of farmers staged protests against a land survey for the proposed Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway. Some even climbed trees threatening to hang themselves, while others attempted to jump into a well to oppose the project.The situation escalated soon after govt officials entered the village. Farmers from Morwad and neighbouring villages surrounded the team and demanded that they leave. A heavy police presence was deployed, but the villagers intensified their protest, forcing officials to withdraw as anger grew over land acquisition."Either the Shaktipeeth Expressway should be cancelled or its alignment must be altered. The route has already been modified in other parts of the state, but only Marathwada's farmers are being forced to surrender their land," farmer Dilip Kulkarni said.A section of farmers said losing their land would destroy their livelihoods. "The expressway will also disrupt local irrigation systems. Once built, it will cause waterlogging across many fields," another farmer, Sudhir Khursale, said.Some protesters also expressed dissatisfaction with the compensation proposed for their land.Sub-divisional officer Avinash Korde said not all landowners opposed the project. "We were surveying only those plots whose owners had agreed to give their land. Farmers from Morwad and nearby villages, however, gathered in large numbers to protest," he said.Korde said compensation was being calculated as per the National Highways Act, 1956. "A group of farmers believes the amount undervalues their land compared to the market rate. We have held several rounds of discussions and will continue engaging with them."The 802km, six-lane, access-controlled Shaktipeeth Expressway would traverse 12 districts, including six in the Marathwada region.