MP, MLA turn blind eyes towards protest even after a week, misleading it: Allegation
Protest demanding closure of Suratkal tollgate
Committee invites MP for open discussion
Mangaluru, October 28: The overnight dharna by the Surathkal Tollgate Action Committee being conducted since October 22, demanding closure of the tollgate following the state government’s proposal to close it, entered one week.
The Committee has been protesting against collecting toll even after the state government’s decision to close it. The agitators demanded that the contract should not be renewed and the tollgate should be removed by October 30 and movement of vehicles should not be barred on old bridge till the new bridge is constructed.
Political parties like Congress, JDS, CPM, CPI and others and district Bus Owners Association and other 50 organisations extended their support to the agitation. Former minister Ramanath Rai, former MLAs Vijay Kumar Shetty, Moidin Bava, JR Lobo, INTUC state president Rakesh Malli and other leaders visited the spot where the agitators have been sitting in dharna and supported their cause. But till date, neither Lok Sabha Member Naleen Kumar Kateel nor MLA Dr Y Bharath Shetty visited the spot and enquired the agitators even after a week. Politicising the issue by Naleen Kumar has created another issue. The agitators are expressing their anger saying that the MP should not mislead the people in the issue and if he has real concerns, he should close the tollgate.
Toll Renovation
The construction of Surathkal toll gate itself is illegal. So, either it should be closed or removed. It should not be continued. If it is not closed by October 30, they would take legal action and the district administration will be held responsible for any untoward incidents, the agitators said.
Meanwhile, the National Authority officials who did not take the issue seriously have given the contract to a new company on October 24 and this has caused wrath among the agitators.
Warns of breaking law
The protest against Surathkal toll gate is not a new one. Local leaders have been fighting against the tollgate for the last one and half years. Even the Lok Sabha Member had said that he would close the tollgate. But now, the move of the MP at the time of closure of contract period has created suspicion. Considering this seriously, the local leaders formed a committee and started their agitation from August 14. Amidst this, the new company might collect the toll from October 30. Taking it as a challenge, the Committee members have decided to lay siege the tollgate and this might cause clash between the committee and the government.
MP is not keeping his words
The Committee members have made an allegation that the MP is not keeping up his words and now, they have decided to fight against the MP. The contract period of the toll collection would expire on October 30 and the MP had promised against renewing the contract at a National Highway Authority meeting. But the NHAI officials have been misleading the people. The MP, without controlling the officials, have been giving misleading statements and creating confusion, they said.
Letter to centre demanding closure of tollgate
Recently, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said that a letter was written to the central government to close the Surathkal and BC Road toll gates instead of merging them with Hejamadi tollgate. But due to some technical reasons, the process was delayed. Even then, the central government would take a decision shortly, he had said.
He had also said that there was politics in the protest being conducted demanding closure of the tollgate. The Surathkal toll was opened during UPA administration and Oscar Fernandes was the Minister then. But then, no one had spoken about it. Why should they speak now? It was a politics, he has reportedly said.
Committee warns Nalin Kumar Katil
Condemning the attitude and statement of the MP, Committee leaders said that nothing would happen without politics in a democratic system. Their protest was about public problem. But the MP has been supporting the tollgate mafia. It was not the question of politics in the protest. It was the question of politics about what, they said asking him about his politics favouring the renovation of the tollgate.
Is your statement that you would light the fire in the district not politics? Shall I disclose who is behind the renovation process? Who is responsible for renovating the tollgate when NHAI has decided to close it? Will you come for open discussion? Will you bring your close aid MLA Bharath Shetty? Are you ready to discuss the issue in the dharna place? Committee convener Muneer Katipalla asked these questions to Nalin Kumar Kateel who remained silent over the issue.
Tollgate to be laid siege: Muneer Katipalla
Their protest will continue till the tollgate will be closed. The state government has submitted a proposal to the central government to close the tollgate. Who is responsible for calling fresh tender for collecting toll and handover the contract to a new company? Is it Nitin Gadkari? Nalin Kumar said that he would go to Nitin Gadkari along with seven BJP MLAs and place their demand. But why did he keep quiet? The MP should clarify his stand over the issue. The Action Committee has already submitted its demands to the office of the MP. But the BJP MP has been saying that he does not know anything about it. Both Nalin Kumar and Bharath Shetty have gone on the same road on Sunday. But they have not met the agitators even for courtesy sake, he said.
He will discuss with MP and committee leaders-Minister UT Khader
He would discuss with MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, MLA Bharat Shetty, former MLAs Vinay Kumar Shetty and Moidin Bava, Committee leaders in the presence of the deputy commissioner and NHAI officials about the tollgate. He would take the assurance of the NHAI given in the last meeting into account. He would direct the officials to take a suitable decision. A letter would be written from the state government to the centre. Those who are favouring the tollgate should understand that there was no provision to collect toll fee in the city corporation limits. Along with the Dakshina Kannada MP, Udupi-Chikmagalur MP should also raise their voice against tollgate issue. Shobha Karandlaje should understand that the toll fee would be a burden to the people of Udupi. Now, he was in by-election campaigning. Shortly he would visit Mangaluru and conduct a meeting. On behalf of the district administration, Mangaluru AC Ravichandra Nayak has met the agitators and held discussion. He would also place the demands of the agitators before the Chief Minister, said District Minister UT Khader.
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India harbouring big and bold dreams in space sector: Shubhanshu Shukla
Kolkata (PTI): Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to go to the International Space Station, on Wednesday said the country is harbouring “big and bold dreams”, foraying into human spaceflight after a hiatus of 41 years.
Shukla was the first Indian to visit the International Space Station as part of the Axiom-4 mission. He returned to India from the US on August 17, 2025, after the 18-day mission.
The space is a “great place to be”, marked by deep peace and an “amazing view” that becomes more captivating with time, he said, interacting with schoolchildren at an event organised by the Indian Centre for Space Physics here.
“The longer you stay, the more you enjoy it,” Shukla said, adding on a lighter note that he “actually kind of did not want to come back”.
Shukla said the hands-on experience in space was very different from what he had learnt during training.
He said the future of India’s space science was “very bright”, with the country harbouring “very big and bold dreams”.
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Shukla described his ISS flight, undertaken with support from the US, as a crucial “stepping stone” towards realising India’s ‘Vision Gaganyaan’.
“The experience gained is a national asset. It is already being used by internal committees and design teams to ensure ongoing missions are on the right track,” he said.
Shukla said the country’s space ambitions include the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, the Bharatiya Station (India’s own space station), and eventually a human landing on the Moon.
While the Moon mission is targeted for 2040, he said these projects are already in the pipeline, and the field will evolve at a “very rapid pace” over the next 10-20 years.
He told the students that though these targets are challenging, they are “achievable by people like you”, urging them to take ownership of India’s aspirations.
The sector will generate “a lot of employment opportunities” as India expands its human spaceflight capabilities, he noted.
Echoing the iconic words of India’s first astronaut Rakesh Sharma, Shukla said that from orbit, “India is still the best in the world”.
Shukla also asserted that the achievement was not his alone, but that of the entire country.
“The youth of India are extremely talented. They must stay focused, remain curious and work hard. It is their responsibility to help build a developed India by 2047,” he said.
Highlighting a shift from Sharma’s era, Shukla said India is now developing a full-fledged astronaut ecosystem.
With Gaganyaan and future missions, children in India will be able to not only dream of becoming astronauts, but also achieving it within the country, he said.
“Space missions help a village kid believe he can go to space someday. When you send one person to space, you lift million hopes. That is why such programmes must continue... The sky is not the limit,” Shukla said.
“Scientists must prepare for systems that will last 20-30 years, while ensuring they can integrate technologies that will emerge a decade from now,” he said.
Shukla added that he looked forward to more space missions, and was keen to undertake a space walk, which will require him to "train for another two years".
