Ground survey of Shaktipeeth’s new alignment starts in Solapur dist amid heavy police presence

Kolhapur: The ground survey for the new alignment of proposed Shaktipeeth Expressway has started in Solapur district.

Most of the earlier alignment has been unchanged till Wardha to Dharashiv. The alignment is changed in Solapur district, it further passes through Satara district which wasn’t there earlier, then through Sangli's Kadegaon, Palus, Walva tehsils before it enters into Kolhapur district.

Three days ago, the staffers of a private company hired for fixing the alignment of the proposed highway were obstructed by farmers in Manegaon village of Madha tehsil of Solapur district. The police booked 32 farmers for obstructing the work, allegedly destroying survey equipment and allegedly attacking the surveyors.

"In Madha tehsil, the survey is started at five points. We have provided seven to eight police personnel for the safety of the surveyors,” a senior police officer said on the condition of anonymity.

NCP (SP) leader Sanjay Patil Ghatnekar has claimed that the survey is being carried out using force despite objections by the farmers.

"We condemn the use of force and illegal use of law to harass farmers. There was no demand or requirement for the highway. The govt intends to carry out land acquisition similarly using force. We, therefore, condemn the police excesses and forceful grabbing of our lands. We will hold a protest rally at Madha tehsil office in June,” the leader said.

In Solapur district, the new alignment of Shaktipeeth Expressway passes through 126 km for which 1,700 hectares of land will be acquired.

District collector S Karthikeyan said that the drone survey and videography is underway and when it is done the gazette appointing the land acquisition officer and process to start the land acquisition will begin-it is called 15(2) notification in govt parlance.

During drone videography one-kilometre of stretch is aerially surveyed at one go. The buildings, other structures, crops and other details are gathered.

“The govt cannot acquire our lands merely by issuing a notification. The farmers can raise objections in 21 days as per Supreme Court guidelines. If the farmers oppose then the govt cannot acquire our land,” Ganesh Ghodke, leader opposing Shaktipeeth Expressway, said.

The elected representatives of the opposition MVA from Solapur district have not taken a clear stand unlike the leaders from Sangli and Kolhapur districts. In Kameri, Aitavde and Kurlap villages of Walva tehsil in Sangli district, farmers stopped the SUV with survey equipment. They searched the vehicle and found data recorders inside. They asked the surveyors to delete the data.

The farmers met BJP MLA Satyajeet Deshmukh who assured them a meeting with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to put across their objections over the highway.