Aaditya Thackeray. File
| Photo Credit: ANI
Shiv Sena(UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Monday expressed disappointment with the Union government for its continued delay in approving the proposal to name Navi Mumbai International Airport after late leader D.B. Patil. The proposal, submitted in June 2022 by the then Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, remains pending.
The construction of the Navi Mumbai airport began in February 2018, and the MVA government decided in 2022 to christen it Loknete Swargiya DB Patil International Airport in honour of the late leader.
Marking D.B. Patil’s birth anniversary, Mr. Aaditya Thackeray took to the social media platform X, writing, “In June 2022, the MVA cabinet decided to name the Navi Mumbai International Airport as Shri D.B. Patil International Airport and sent the recommendation to the Union government. However, the cabinet decision is still pending approval.” He questioned whether the delay was a routine occurrence under the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government or an intentional insult to Maharashtra.
Mr. Thackeray also highlighted that repeated written reminders to Civil Aviation Ministers over the past three years have gone unanswered. On this occasion, he urged Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu to approve the naming proposal without further delay, as a tribute to D.B. Patil on his birth anniversary.
The Sena(UBT) MLA further criticised the Centre for a similar delay regarding the naming of the airport at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Airport, a proposal that has been pending since 2020.
Published – January 13, 2025 03:50 pm IST
