Protests in Shirali against National Highway widening; Local BJP MLA extends support
Bhatkal: Hundreds of locals on Friday morning gathered and staged dharna on the National Highway 66 of Shirali in Bhatkal Taluka against the NH widening work that began yesterday.
On Thursday, when the IRB officials began the NH widening work after it was halted for few weeks owing to protests by the locals, the locals along with Shirali Gram Panchayath officials once again started protesting the widening of NH only to 30m, against 45 meters which was initially decided.
But under the protection of local police, the IRB officials began the work as per the orders from the Deputy Commissioner of Uttara Kannada District SS Nakul.
The protesters then had turned to Bhatkal-Honnavar MLA Sunil Naik, who despite being in Bengaluru for budget session, tried to intervene and stop the work by making calls to Bhatkal Assistant Commissioner Sajid Ahmed Mulla, who refused to stop the work, citing orders from DC.
Followed by which, the locals had announced Dharna and protests on Friday, to which BJP MLA Sunil Naik had also extended support but had excused himself from being present at the protest as he was in Bengaluru for assembly session.
On Friday morning, security was beefed up in Shirali, under the supervision of Bhatkal DySP Valentine D’Souza and CPI Ganesh KL.
Amidst protests and Dharna, the IRB officials continued their work.
Bhatkal CPI Ganesh KL, while speaking to Vartha Bharti, said “The road work is going on smoothly, meanwhile the dharna of locals is also going on, they have said they will continue the dharna until their demands are met, daily till 6.pm in the evening. We have adequate security in place, and we believe their will no untoward incident during the whole issue”.
Why protests?
The locals of Shirali and Gram Panchayath officials have long stood against the widening of NH in Shirali to 30mtrs while it was initially proposed to be widened to 45mtrs.
The locals alleges that a few businessmen, whose properties would have been demolished for the widening of the work, used their political powers and influence to restrict the widening to 30mtrs, whereas the poor people in the outskirts of the city had already lost their properties as in the outskirts of the city the widening will be 45mtrs, even when widening of 45mtrs is mainly required inside the town limits as the town has a very much potential of developing in years to come.
MLA Sunil Naik was also quoted by local media Bhatkallys.com as saying “There is a need of widening the NH to 45 meters as Shirali in future days has great potential to get developed. Though for the past 6-7 months I have contacted the district in-charge minister, District Administration and all the concerned departments, it did not yield any results. So, I extend my support to the protest on widening of the road”.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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”.
ALSO READ: Didn't answer any questions, completely defensive response': Rahul on Shah's speech in LS
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".
