Dubai-bound woman denied boarding flight due to spelling mistake in covid report

News Network

November 23, 2020

Mangaluru, Nov 23: A woman bound for Dubai from Thirthahalli in Shivamogga district of Karnataka was denied boarding due to a mistake in the spelling of Shivamogga in the Covid-19 negative certificate.

Chand Begum was refused a boarding pass by SpiceJet staff due to the spelling mistake in the Covid-19 negative certificate. In the report, the place where she underwent Covid test was referred to as ‘Shivamogga Institute of Medical Sciences’. However, the seal by the district surveillance officer had the old spelling ‘Shimoga’.

Begum was scheduled to take the flight at 1.45 am on Saturday. Officials from Shivamogga district tried to explain the matter to the airline staff. They said the Institute in question was a government hospital approved by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR). However, all efforts went in vain. The woman had undergone Covid test on November 18 and she received the report on November 19.

Zakir Hussain, brother of Chand Begum, said, “we tried our level best to convince the airlines staff to allow her to board the flight. When they did not heed our request, we had to return. Begum again underwent a Covid-19 test on November 21 in. Mangaluru.”

SpiceJet representatives said that the airline was just following the guidelines issued by the Indian government and the authorities in the UAE.

The rules stipulate that there should not be any error in the Covid negative certificate. “We have intimated the problem to officials in UAE and Chand Begum will be accommodated in the next flight,” the airlines said.

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Roadblock to Relief: Speaker Khader’s Push to Expand Key NH-66 Stretch from Nanthoor to Talapady

News Network

November 26,2025

Mangaluru, Nov 26: Assembly Speaker and local MLA U.T. Khader has initiated a high-level push to resolve one of Mangaluru’s longest-standing traffic headaches: the narrow, high-density stretch of National Highway-66 between Nanthoor and Talapady.

He announced on Tuesday that a formal proposal has been submitted to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) seeking approval to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the widening of this crucial corridor.

The plan specifically aims to expand the existing 45-meter road width to a full 60 meters, coupled with the construction of dedicated service roads. Khader highlighted that land for a 60-meter highway was originally acquired during the initial four-laning project, but only 45 meters were developed, leading to a perpetual bottleneck.

"With vehicle density rising sharply, the expansion has become unavoidable," Khader stated, stressing that the upgrade is essential for ensuring smoother traffic flow and improving safety at the city's main entry and exit points.

The stretch between Nanthoor and Talapady is a vital link on the busy Kochi-Panvel coastal highway and connects to major city junctions. The move to utilize the previously acquired land for the full 60-meter width is seen as a necessary measure to catch up with the region's rapid vehicular growth and prevent further traffic gridlocks.

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