The Maharashtra Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has cleared the proposal to name the upcoming Navi Mumbai international airport after DB Patil, the former Peasants & Workers Party (PWP) leader from Navi Mumbai.
The development takes place after protests erupted in parts of Navi Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar districts after the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi government’s decision (proposed by Shinde who was then Urban Development minister) to name it after Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray. CIDCO, the body responsible for development works in the satellite towns of Mumbai had, in fact, followed through on Shinde’s letter that had proposed Thackeray’s name.
Protestors demanded the airport be named after Patil, the local hero. They also accused the Uddhav Thackeray government of going back on their original promise by proposing to name it after the Sena founder.
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Dinkar Balu Patil was born in a small village in Raigad district. Championing the cause of farmers and their land rights during the 1970s and 1980s when CIDCO (City Industrial & Development Corporation) was on a land acquiring spree for development projects, the law graduate was part of the Peasants & Workers party in Maharashtra.
He won an election to the Kolaba district local board and later represented Panvel in the state Assembly for five terms between 1957 and 1980. He was also the MP from Kolaba in 1977 and 1984, as well as a member of the Legislative Council in 1992. He was Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly from 1972 to 1977, and then again in 1982-83.
The Navi Mumbai international airport will be coming up in Panvel, more than 40kms away from Mumbai. It aims to reduce the congestion at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai.
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