In October 2016, then Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis proposed his ambitious dream project, the Nagpur-Mumbai Expressway, popularly known as the Samruddhi Corridor. The expressway would connect 352 villages in 10 districts and reduce the travel time between Mumbai and Nagpur from 14 hours to eight hours. The project also aimed at setting up 24 smart cities at interchanges.
The project has become a rallying cry for affected farmers. According to a report, the government had given three options to landowners. The first was to give their land under the land pooling scheme where the owners would get 25 per cent of the developed land and annuity for 10 years. The second option was to buy back their developed land after 10 years. The third option was of direct purchase, through a sale agreement with the government where the landowner would get 25 per cent above the compensation rate. But if the landowner chose neither option, his land would be forcefully acquired.
Farmers from the 10 districts have come together to form the Samruddhi Mahamarg Shetkari Sangharsh Samiti. They say they have been misinformed about the compensation, alleging they were promised compensation under the LARR Act, 2013, while the land was acquired under the Maharashtra Highways Act, 1955. Due to this discrepancy, the farmers say they are unable to bargain for employment or subsistence allowance. It should be noted that under the Maharashtra Highways Act, the government can avoid the social impact assessment studies for the project and rehabilitation of the project-affected people, which will help expedite the land acquisition process.
In 2017, protests turned violent in Nashik village when officials visited with 600 police personnel to guard the land while measuring the area. Farmers claimed that the police carried out lathi-charge against protesters and registered criminal cases against protesting youths.
Despite the protests, in June 2019, the state government completed the land acquisition process. It released Rs 6,000 crore as compensation for the 23,500 project-affected people. The expressway is expected to be completed in 2021. As of 2020, 40 per cent of the work had been completed.
As per a government resolution dated 13 August 2018, the State government had taken a decision consider the 'ready reckoner' (RR) under the Maharashtra Stamp Act for determining the market value of the land sought to be acquired. However, a corrigendum notification was issued on 11 September 2018, through which the State government exempted the project from the considering the RR rate for land acquisition. Instead, the Maharashtra Government issued a lower than market rates were offered as compensation, leading to a challenge before the Bombay High Court.
In its order dated 24 March 2022, a division bench of the Court set aside the September 2018 corrigendum, thereby blocking the state government’s move to pay low compensation. However, the process of land acquisition has continued thereafter, despite continued protests from farmers in Parbhani, Jalna and [Nanded](https://www.mumbailive.com/en/infrastructure/samruddhi-mahamarg-to-be-extended-till-jalna-and-nanded-86137#:~:text=The project is facing delays,bids for the expressway's construction.) districts.
A research report published in May 2023, quoted the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation as stating the requirement of 20,000 hectares for the project, of which 8,000 hectares had been acquired by then. Such report follows a PIB Press Release in January 2023, which claimed that the cost of the project had ballooned to Rs 55,000 crore.
As per reports published in January 2025, the state government has completed the construction of the 701-km-long Mumbai to Nagpur Expressway, and is likely be inaugurated in February 2025.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Refusal to give up land for the project
Demand for more compensation than promised
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Urban
Type of Land
Common and Private
Forest and Non-Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Project underway despite protests
Original Project Deadline
2022
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Yes
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Agricultural land
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
55335
Type of investment:
Revised Investment
Year of Estimation
2016
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Land Acquisition Laws, Other
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Constitutional inconsistencies between state and Union land laws
Controversial land acquisition by the government
Incorrect estimation of compensation
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Lathicharge/teargas/pellets
Judicial harassment
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Yes
Reported Details of the Violation:
In 2017, protests turned violent when officials visited with 600 police personnel to guard the land while measuring the area. Farmers alleged that the police carried out lathi-charge against protesters and registered criminal cases against protesting youths.
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Nashik village
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Limited (MSRDC)
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Limited
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
No
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Construction Industry Development Board (Malaysia)
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
No
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Farmers
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
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