Sangli District Gaurdian and Minister Suresh Khande, and Sangli MP Vishal Patil performed the ‘bhoomi pooja’ for the project on Friday.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari took to social media platform X to announce the benefits of the project. He said that the Sangli district is an important economic and cultural hub, famous for turmeric.
“This project will be important with the aim of bringing the district into the mainstream. Actually National Highway-160 starts from Sinnar and goes to Chikodi in Karnataka via Shirdi, Nagar, Ashti, Phaltan, Dahiwadi, Mangaon, Vita, Miraj,” said the minister.
Highlighting the importance of the stretch from Phaltan to Sangli on the highway, Gadkari said that agricultural products like turmeric, sugarcane, pomegranate, maize and jaggery is grown in in the area and are transported through this route. “Baramati, Phaltan, Vita, Tasgaon and Sangli cities will be connected by the road after the completion of the project, which broke ground today,” added Gadkari. He said that the project will boost the agricultural and industrial sectors in the area. “It will be easy to reach religious places like Shirdi, Shani Shingnapur, Shikhar Shingnapur. This will boost religious tourism. Also, the socio-economic prosperity of the area will accelerate and employment and self-employment opportunities will be created,” the minister said.