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Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Farmers hit streets against Shaktipeeth Highway project
Farmers and public representatives staged coordinated protests across parts of western Maharashtra and Marathwada on Tuesday, opposing the proposed Shaktipeeth Highway project. Agitations were staged in Sangli, Dharashiv, Nanded, Beed and Parbhani districts, with demonstrators blocking key roads as part of a 'rasta roko' and raising slogans against the State government. In Sangli district, hundreds of protesters gathered at Ankali Phata and blocked traffic on the Sangli-Kolhapur Highway, causing major disruptions. (HT) The protest was led by the Shaktipeeth Highway Virodhi Kruti Samiti and saw participation from former MP and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader Raju Shetti, Sangli MP Vishal Patil, and MLA Kailas Patil, among others. In Sangli district, hundreds of protesters gathered at Ankali Phata and blocked traffic on the Sangli-Kolhapur highway, causing major disruptions. Police detained several protesters during the agitation. Lok Sabha MP Vishal Patil said, 'Before the 2024 assembly elections, the government had claimed the project was cancelled. But now, the process has resumed without taking farmers into confidence. The government must not impose the project — instead, they should conduct village-wise consultations.' Raising broader concerns, Raju Shetti said the existing Ratnagiri–Nagpur Road project by the National Highway Authority is already running at a loss. Since the Shaktipeeth Highway would run parallel to that route, Shetti demanded that the project be reconsidered. 'IIT Roorkee and IIT Hyderabad are currently studying traffic projections, toll viability, collection periods, and financial implications of highway infrastructure. Based on their findings, a report should be presented to the public regarding the potential toll burden and the risks of this unnecessary project,' Shetti said. Farmers alleged the highway would require the acquisition of fertile farmland, affecting their livelihoods and displacing hundreds of families. Holding placards and shouting slogans, they accused the state government of ignoring local concerns and fast-tracking the project without proper consultation or compensation. 'This land has been with our families for generations. The government is forcing this project without understanding ground realities,' said one protesting farmer. Despite the rain, the protests saw strong participation, reflecting the intensity of public opposition. Several local leaders and elected representatives extended support to the agitation, demanding that the proposed alignment be either reconsidered or scrapped entirely. Police were deployed in large numbers at protest sites to maintain law and order. Traffic movement was affected in multiple locations for several hours. The state cabinet last week approved ₹ 20,787 crore for the proposed highway that will start from Pawanar in Wardha district in Vidarbha to Patra Devi in Sindhudurg, at the southern tip of the state. One of many flagship projects of the BJP-led Mahayuti government, the 802-km expressway will sweep through 12 districts, linking key spiritual sites, or Shaktipeeths. It also aims to cut Nagpur-Goa travel time from 18 to 8 hours. The government has said that the Shaktipeeth Highway is proposed to improve road connectivity between prominent religious destinations in Maharashtra. However, its alignment and land acquisition plans have triggered widespread dissent among farmers, particularly in Sangli and adjoining districts. Protesters warned of intensifying their agitation if the government fails to respond to their demands.
Broadcast Pro
18-06-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Starlink drives NGSO dominance in maritime satcom market: Novaspace
NGSO solutions positioned to capture 97% market share by 2034, driven by Starlink growth. Novaspace, a space consulting and market intelligence firm, has published the 13th edition of its Prospects for Maritime Satellite Communications report, offering an in-depth look at the key developments driving the evolution of this dynamic sector. The report outlines a fundamental transformation underway in maritime connectivity, fueled by the widespread adoption of non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) systems and the disruptive impact of players like Starlink. According to Novaspace, the number of vessels using satellite communications is projected to climb to 125,000 by 2034. As this market expands, the industry's dependence on traditional geostationary orbit (GEO) capacity is set to decline sharply. The report highlights a growing shift in primary bandwidth usage from GEO to NGSO systems, with NGSO capacity expected to surge from 286 Gbps in 2024 to 2 Tbps by the end of the decademarking a sevenfold increase. Vishal Patil, Project Manager at Novaspace, said: 'This major shift was already visible in 2024 as Starlink made its mark on the market. Starlink disrupted the maritime satcom market via its official service launch, influencing the direction of the market in almost every way. They can certainly expect to continue enjoying their first-mover advantage, at least in the short-term.' As a result, NGSOs share of total satellite capacity used in maritime applications is expected to grow from 85% in 2024 to about 98% by 2034. NGSO-based service revenues are also forecast to dominate the market, capturing 93% of revenues by the end of the decade. While NGSO platforms are rapidly overtaking GEO in capacity and services, Novaspace underscores that GEO systems will not become obsolete. Major vessel operators remain cautious about relying exclusively on NGSO solutions, opting instead for hybrid connectivity strategies that combine GEO and NGSO networksreshaping the competitive landscape and introducing new market dynamics. Looking forward, Novaspace projects that service revenues in the maritime satcom market will reach $3.3bn by 2034, supported by both rising demand and increases in some average revenue per user (ARPU) rates. While the past year saw operators renegotiating and streamlining contracts to manage rising connectivity costs, Novaspace expects pricing trends to stabilise as ownership costs decline and new standards take hold. With demand for maritime connectivity surging and satellite capabilities rapidly evolving, the firm emphasises that service providers must recalibrate their strategies to remain competitive in a fast-changing market.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Time of India
Navi Mumbai bizman loses Rs 2.75cr in online gaming
Navi Mumbai: A 42-year-old Koparkhairane businessman suffered a loss of Rs 2.74 crore while participating in online gaming activities on a betting platform between Dec 2022 and April 2025. Following the victim's report at the cyber police station on Tuesday, authorities registered an FIR for fraud under the Information Technology Act. According to police officials, the complainant created an account on to participate in online games including Teen Patti and Casino. Platform administrators promised profitable returns, leading him to transfer Rs 3.25 crore to various bank accounts for betting purposes. His registered profile displayed winning amounts, allowing him to withdraw Rs 50 lakh initially. However, when his account ceased showing the remaining winning amounts, he questioned the administrators who provided unclear responses. Suspecting deception, he filed a complaint regarding the loss of Rs 2.75 crore. Police Inspector Vishal Patil from the cyber police station stated that the complainant became suspicious of fraudulent activity when attempting to transfer his winnings, only to discover his account balance was zero. Their investigation revealed that the gaming platform operated internationally, confirmed through the website operator's VPN (Virtual Private Network). The authorities have also identified the bank accounts where the complainant transferred his betting funds.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Time of India
Three poachers arrested for illegal hunting in Gaganbawda forest range
Kolhapur: Three poachers were caught by the Gaganbawda forest range while unlawfully entering a forest area to hunt wildlife. The court placed them in two days of forest custody . Range forest officer for Gaganbawda, Vishal Patil, said, "Dinkar Patil (35), Bapu Dakwe (29), and Santosh Dakwe (37), all residents of Mauje Kode village in Gaganbawda, were caught red-handed by our team when they opened fire to hunt a hare at the Ambudev forest area. After hearing the firing sound, our team immediately trapped them." During questioning, the suspects admitted they had entered the forest to hunt. "A case was registered by the forest guard. The accused have been arrested under sections 2 (16), 9, 39, and 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act . Hunting weapons, including a gun, has been seized," added Patil. The operation was supervised by deputy conservator forests G Guruprasad, assistant conservator Kamlesh Patil, and executed by range forest officer Vishal Patil, trainee range forest officer Milind Govekar, forest ranger Sambhaji Charapale, and guards Nitin Shinde, Komal Rahate, Priyanka Desai, Suryakant Gurav, and others.
India Today
28-04-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Two defections in weeks, why it's setback season for Congress in Maharashtra
The Congress in Maharashtra has suffered a setback in one of its erstwhile strongholds, with former MLA Sangram Thopte quitting the party to join the BJP. Thopte's defection goes much beyond usual party-hopping in that he is seen as a legacy Congressman with a strong base in rural shift comes within weeks of former Congress MLA Ravindra Dhangekar joining the Shiv Sena led by deputy chief minister Eknath the record, Thopte, a three-term MLA and a 'hardcore Congressman' in his own words, has claimed that the Congress gave short shift to his loyalty and ignored him when it came to ministerial has also lauded the leadership of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Recently, a loan guarantee extended by the state government to the Rajgad cooperative sugar mill, controlled by the Thoptes, was withdrawn by the Fadnavis-led Mahayuti regime. Congress leaders point to how Thopte was the party's choice for the legislative assembly speaker's post during the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime but that then governor B.S. Koshyari had not allowed elections for the post to be Congress had three MLAs from Pune city and district in the outgoing legislative assembly, but it drew a blank in the region in the assembly polls last year. Of the three MLAs, Thopte and Dhangekar have switched sides, leaving just Sanjay Jagtap, who was elected from Purandar, with the more flutter in the Congress, the BJP has made overtures to another legacy Congress leader—independent Lok Sabha MP Vishal Patil, the grandson of former chief minister and Congress veteran Vasantdada Patil. In the seat-sharing agreement within the MVA for the general elections last year, the Sangli constituency was allotted to the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray). Vishal Patil contested the seat as an Independent and won by defeating the BJP's two-term MP Sanjaykaka Patil.A former Congress MLA from Pune and a former Congress minister who joined the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) are also reported to be on way to the and his father Anantrao, a former minister, have represented the Bhor assembly constituency in 1980-99 and 2004-24. Thopte, a former education minister, had faced a shock defeat at the hands of Kashinath Khutwad of the newly-formed Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). In 2004, Anantrao reclaimed the seat. In 2009, he sat out in favour of his son, who also retained the seat in 2014 and 2019. However, in the state polls in 2024, Thopte faced an unexpected defeat at the hands of Shankar Mandekar of the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar.A wrestler, Mandekar was with the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and later joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Mandekar was brought into the NCP and nominated from the seat. Ajit Pawar was said to be eager to ensure Thopte's defeat considering his role in the victory of his cousin Supriya Sule of the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and the defeat of his wife Sunetra Pawar from the Baramati Lok Sabha seat last entry into the BJP will strengthen the party in a constituency where it has traditionally been on the weaker side. In the next assembly polls in 2029, the BJP aims to come to power on its own merit. Interestingly, Anantrao was always seen as an opponent of NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar when the two were in the Congress. The BJP has traditionally banked on its opposition to Pawar Senior to grow in Maharashtra. Anantrao was also seen a chief minister probable in the the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign, Sharad Pawar had visited Thopte at his residence in Pune, and the latter had backed Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule from the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, of which Bhor assembly segment is a part. Bhor, which is located on the fringes of Pune city, is also being urbanised gradually. It is seeing the emergence of the urban, cosmopolitan and pro-BJP voter. The constituency also has a strong tribal to India Today MagazineMust Watch
