The Navi Mumbai International Airport will be named after social activist D. B. Patil, reiterated the State Forest Minister and Guardian Minister of Palghar District, MLA Ganesh Naik.
The minister was speaking at a meeting organized on Saturday at Vashi by the Loknete D. B. Patil Navi Mumbai International Airport Naming All-Party Action Committee and the Akhil Agri Samaj Parishad.
“Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has already assured that the Navi Mumbai International Airport will be named after Loknete D. B. Patil. .A resolution supporting the renaming has already been passed in both houses of the state legislature. Therefore, the renaming is certain,” said Naik.
In his introductory speech, the chairman of the action committee Dashrath Patil,Dashrath Patil emphasized the need to push the airport renaming demand more aggressively. ” Both houses of the Maharashtra Legislature have already passed the resolution for renaming the airport, and it has been sent to the Central Government for final approval,” said Patil. He urged that the Central Government must give its approval before the airport becomes operational.
Additionally, priority for locals for employment opportunities and other work within the airport area was highlighted during the meeting. ” A parent committee for the Navi Mumbai airport, similar to the one for Mumbai Airport, must be formed and Dr. Sanjeev Naik should be appointed as its chairman,” said the chairman.
During the meeting it was demanded that various legal cases filed against protestors involved in the airport renaming movement should be withdrawn.
The minister assured that he would discuss with the Chief Minister the withdrawal of legal cases against the protestors.Furthermore, Ganesh Naik stated of prioritizing the employment of project-affected locals in job opportunities and other work within the airport region. He assured that a meeting with the airport management would be held regarding this matter. He also informed the gathering that efforts were being made to grant ownership rights to the project-affected individuals for all constructions they built out of necessity.
During this event, individuals who actively participated in the airport renaming movement were honored with the D. B. Warrior Award by Ganesh Naik and other dignitaries.
The event was attended by former minister Ravi Sheth Patil, former MP Dr. Sanjeev Naik, MLA Mandat Mhatre, former MLAs Subhash Bhoir and Yogesh Patil, Atul Patil (son of Loknete D. B. Patil), former municipal chairman J. M. Mhatre, J. D. Tandel, Bhushan Patil, Mahendra Gharat, Deepak Mhatre, Rajaram Patil, former Panvel deputy mayor Jagdish Gaikwad, and Deepak Patil, along with many other prominent members of the Agri community.
