Mumbai, Jan 30: The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) confirmed in the Lok Sabha that it has officially received a formal proposal from the Government of Maharashtra to name the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) as the Loknete D. B. Patil Navi Mumbai Airport.
Local demand for naming airport
The confirmation comes as a significant development for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region following a period of intense advocacy by local communities to name the greenfield airport after late politician and social activist Dinkar Balu Patil, who worked with local farmers of Navi Mumbai to secure fair compensation for their land acquired by Maharashtra’s City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) for building the planned city.
Cabinet approval in 2022
The Maharashtra cabinet had cleared the proposal to name the airport after the late activist in 2022, when the state government was led by then chief minister Eknath Shinde.
Details shared in Parliament
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol told Parliament on Thursday that the ministry has received a proposal to name NMIA as Loknete D. B. Patil Navi Mumbai Airport from the state government, along with the resolution passed by the Maharashtra legislature.
He provided the details in response to questions raised by Bhiwandi Member of Parliament Balya Mama Suresh Gopinath Mhatre, who has been actively pushing for the renaming at the local level.
Also Watch:
Process for naming airports
In Parliament on Thursday, Mohol also explained that airports are generally known by the name of the city in which they are located, unless a specific name is proposed by the respective state government and supported by a legislative resolution.
He added that a decision on naming airports is then taken by the Union Cabinet after due consultation with the concerned ministries or departments.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
