The proposal to name the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport after veteran local leader Dinkar Balu Patil is expected to be placed before the Union Cabinet soon, according to Member of Parliament Suresh Mhatre.
Speaking at a press conference, the MP said that Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu has assured him that the long-pending proposal regarding the airport’s name will soon be presented before the Union Cabinet for consideration.
The demand to name the airport after D.B. Patil has been raised for several years by residents and landowners from the region. Patil is widely remembered for leading movements related to the rights of farmers and people affected by development projects in the Navi Mumbai region.
MP Mhatre said he has repeatedly taken up the issue in Parliament and at administrative forums, highlighting the sentiments of local communities who believe the airport should recognise Patil’s contributions.
“During my recent meeting with the Civil Aviation Minister last week, he informed me that the long-pending proposal regarding the naming of the Navi Mumbai International Airport will soon be brought before the Union Cabinet. Both the Central and State governments are positive about this,” MP Balya Mama said.
He added that the move would honour the legacy of the late leader and acknowledge the role played by local communities that gave up land for infrastructure development in the region.
The airport project is one of the largest aviation infrastructure developments in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and is expected to significantly expand aviation capacity for the Mumbai area once it becomes operational.
Source: The Free Press Journal
