Mango, Cashew Crop Loss Protest Disrupts Mumbai–Goa Highway

Mumbai: Traffic on the Mumbai-Goa Expressway was severely disrupted on Monday due to the ‘Rasta Roko’ protest by mango and cashew growers led by farmer leader Raju Shetti and former Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Vaibhav Naik.

The demonstrators demanded immediate compensation from the government for the heavy losses suffered by mango and cashew growers due to unseasonal weather conditions. The excitement resulted in long vehicle queues and significant delays for passengers traveling between Mumbai and the Konkan region.

Thousands of farmers, led by Swabhimani Sanghatana chief Raju Shetti, staged rasta roko opposite a petrol pump in Nandgaon. Meanwhile, some unidentified protesters staged demonstrations by burning tires on the highway near the Pavshi-Ghavnale junction near Kudal.

Farmers shouted slogans demanding compensation to be paid to mango and cashew growers. A large number of police teams were dispatched to the highway to prevent any untoward incident.

Shetti later announced that the agitation was temporarily suspended for a few days after a written assurance was given by the Sindhdurg District Administration that compensation for farmers’ losses would be announced in the State Legislative Assembly in the next two days before the conclusion of the ongoing session.

Speaking on the occasion, Shetti said, “We will temporarily suspend this agitation for two days. If no decision is taken during the legislative session, we will call a meeting of all farmers once again to decide on the future course of action. In this case, we will hold our protest at ‘Varsha’ (the official residence of the Chief Minister) in Mumbai.”

Shetti also warned that farmers from Thane, Raigad and Western Maharashtra, besides Ratnagiri and Sindhdurg districts, may also join this agitation.

The tension came after farmers in Sindhdurg district took out a protest march to the District Collectorate Office on March 12, demanding compensation to those affected. He also warned that if their demands were not met within 10 days, they would close the highway to traffic.

According to farmers, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had assured that satisfactory compensation would be provided to farmers and an official announcement regarding the same would be made before the conclusion of the ongoing Budget Session of the legislature. However, after the government could not take a concrete decision on the issue, farmers took to the streets and decided to close the Mumbai-Goa Highway.