Udupi: The former MLA and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader K. Raghupati Bhat said on Tuesday that the party is opposed to the new National Highway 169A passing through Parkala, Manipal and Udupi city and touching National Highway 66 (at Karavali Junction in Udupi).

“The NH 169A is a good proposal as it would widen Agumbe Ghat Road and lead to better commerce and trade between Shimoga and Udupi. We have nothing against the NH 169A except that it passes through heart of Udupi. If the government did not stop the NH 169A from passing through Udupi, we will launch an agitation within a week,” he said.

Mr. Bhat said that the Union Government had on February 10 issued a notice changing the Tirthahalli-Udupi State Highway into National Highway 169A. But this new road would pass through the heart of Manipal and Udupi to join NH 66.

Its new status as a national highway means that the existing road would have to be widened by 40 metres on either side. Such a change would mean the destruction of nearly 3,000 buildings and it would affect over 22,000 persons.

The BJP’s argument is that the there was no need to get the NH 169A into Udupi city.

They said that the Udupi-Manipal Road had been widened by the previous government into a four-lane road. This four-lane would likely to be extended till Parkala.

This being the case, the NH 169A could be started from the outskirts of Udupi city to Tirthahalli.

The government could also go in for alternative routes such as Koteshwar-Someshwar-Tirthahalli or Brahmavar-Hebri-Someshwar- Tirthahalli.