Name NM airport after D B Patil before assembly election: PAPs

APAC and Agri-Koli community demand Navi Mumbai airport be named after DB Patil. Threaten agitation if not announced before Maharashtra elections.

PANVEL: The All-Party Action Committee (APAC) and the Agri-Koli community, who have been demanding the naming of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) after socialist and leader of Project Affected Persons (PAP) DB Patil, have warned the government of the consequences if they don’t announce the decision before the Maharashtra assembly elections. 

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The Uddhav Thackeray-led state government wanted to name the airport Balasaheb Thackeray. Following massive agitations, the government yielded on its last day in office. The resolution to name the airport after DB Patil was also passed by the new Mahayuti alliance at its first cabinet meeting. It was approved by both houses of the state and sent to the central government.

There is, however, a growing suspicion about the central government’s intention amongst the PAPs as there hasn’t been a response. In January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was at the airport site, and the then civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia a day later, did not address it. 

The Agri-Koli community is preparing to observe Patil’s 11th death anniversary on June 24. The APAC has now decided to visit Delhi and meet PM Modi and the civil aviation minister. It has threatened to intensify its agitation if the demand is not met before the assembly election. 

According to the committee president, Dashrath Patil, “We will write to the PM on the issue. We will also go to Delhi to meet the new civil aviation minister, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, and approach union minister of State Murlidhar Mohol, in Pune.” 

Jagdish Gaikwad, former Panvel deputy mayor, said, “There are 25 assembly constituencies in the Konkan area with a large PAP population. If the name is not given before the assembly election, people of 95 villages will be upset and will exercise alternate voting options.” 

Gaikawad says that they were also ignored in naming the Atal Setu Bridge. “PAPs have decided on a `no name, no flight’ movement,” says Gaikawad. 

The PAPs have a strong suspicion that their demand is being ignored and only hollow promises are being made, says Bhushan Patil, PAP leader. “PM Modi did not even utter Patil’s name, and Scindia did not commit. Even boards with Patil’s name put up at the site were removed. We want respect for our leader and community.” 

Ruling out any backtracking, BJP Panvel MLA Prashant Thakur said, “It has been repeatedly pointed out that the airport can be named only after it is ready.” 

Thakur added, “Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had during the Lok Sabha campaign reiterated that the first flight will take off from D B Patil airport. We are confident that the approval will come at an appropriate time.”