With the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena locking horns over naming the proposed Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway, the Opposition on Wednesday asked the State government to first concentrate on completing the project instead of fighting over the name of the expressway.
The Shiv Sena on Tuesday submitted a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis demanding the proposed road to be named after its founder, Bal Thackeray. Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Minister Eknath Shinde in the letter had said all Sena members of the Legislative Assembly and members of Parliament feel naming the road after Bal Thackeray was a way to honour him.
The BJP, on the other hand, has been planning to name the road after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Sena’s demand has the party ranks in a twist. A BJP minister on condition of anonymity said, “He [Vajpayee] brought in a revolution in this country by speeding up highway construction and launching several road projects to connect different cities. Naming it after him would be a fitting tribute to his memory.” He said no decision has been made on naming the road yet.
Meanwhile, the Opposition hit out at the government for raking up controversies even before work on the project has begun. Nationalist Congress Party spokesperson Nawab Malik said, “First, the government should construct the road without harming the interests of farmers who are giving up their land for the project. Construct the road and then quarrel over the name.”
Mr. Malik said the row has exposed double standards of the Sena, which initially pretended to be with farmers and opposed the land acquisition process. “The Sena’s double standards show the manner in which this government is functioning,” he said.
The 700-km e-way will be connected to 24 nodes, which will be developed as smart cities. It will pass through 10 districts and lead to development in 14 others. Land acquisition is under way in 10 districts and 9,800 hectares have been acquired on a consensus and negotiation-based approach. The State recently approved the cost escalation of ₹6,000 crore, taking the total cost of the project to ₹55,335 crore.