NCP(SP) Working President Supriya Sule on Thursday urged the Maharashtra government to reconsider its plan to spend Rs 86,300 crore on the proposed Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway project, pointing out that the massive expenditure would place an enormous financial burden on the state’s already strained treasury.

During a press conference, the Lok Sabha Member of Parliament from Baramati in Pune district questioned the necessity of securing a loan for the high-speed carriageway, reported news agency PTI. 

The state cabinet approved on Tuesday the 802-kilometre-long Shaktipeeth Expressway project, which will connect Pavnar in Wardha district with Patradevi on the Maharashtra-Goa border in Sindhudurg district. The project aims to reduce the travel time between Nagpur and Goa from the current 18 hours to approximately eight hours, according to officials.