Nashik: Farmers from 14 districts staged a 'rasta-roko' agitation on the Mumbai-Agra highway at Shahapur in Thane district, near Nashik, in protest against the proposed Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi highway.Vehicular traffic on the highway was thrown out of gear for almost one-and-a-half hours as a result of the road blockade by the protesters.Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna leader Raju Shetti, who led the agitation, was arrested along with the state secretary of Maharashtra Rajya Kisan, Sabha Raju Desle, and several farmers. They were, however, released later.Desle said, "Around 20,583 hectare of land across 10 districts will be affected due to the Samruddhi highway. As per 2013 land acquisition act, irrigated land can't be acquired, but the government still acquiring it."He said that the farmers are not ready to surrender their land and that the government is forcibly undertaking land measurements for the highway project."Hence, farmers from 14 districts staged an agitation from noon to 1.30 p.m. Raju Shetti has also supported the farmers and opposed the Samruddhi project. He also led a rasta roko agitation," said Desle.The Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway Samruddhi via Nashik and Marathwada is being developed by the government. The 793km expressway will be passing through 14 districts, including Nashik.Desle said the Mumbai-Nagpur four-lane project had been planned earlier and land was acquired for that, but the government developed a two-lane highway."Instead of developing a four-lane Mumbai-Nagpur highway, the government is planning another Mumbai-Nagpur expressway. The existing two-lane highway should be converted into a four-lane path," he added.

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