Navi Mumbai International Airport to be Named After Late DB Patil, Confirms Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis
Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday confirmed that the Navi Mumbai International Airport will be named after the late Dinkar Balu Patil, popularly known as DB Patil. “While granting permission for the airport construction earlier, the centre had approved the name ‘Navi Mumbai International Airport’. With the proposed renaming, it will now be officially known as ‘Loknete DB Patil Navi Mumbai International Airport’. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the state’s proposal,” CM Fadnavis stated.
Earlier, a massive protest march had been announced for Monday, October 6, demanding that the airport be named after D. B. Patil. During the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime, when Uddhav Thackeray was the Chief Minister, he announced that the airport would carry DB Patil’s name, approving the proposal in principle.
Who Was DB Patil?
Dinkar Balu Patil, also known as DB Patil, was born on January 13, 1926, in Jasai, Raigad district, Maharashtra. He was a prominent political leader associated with the Shetkari Kamgar Paksha (Peasants and Workers Party) in North Konkan.
His father, Balu Gauru Patil, was a farmer and teacher who played a significant role in promoting education in Jasai and the surrounding villages. His mother’s name was Madhubai. DB Patil pursued a law degree in Pune with the considerable support of his brother, Atmaram Balu Patil, who greatly contributed to his education.
Throughout his political career, DB Patil held several important positions:
- Mayor of Panvel Municipality
- Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for five terms from Panvel-Uran constituency
- Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council (once)
- Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
- Member of Parliament (MP) elected twice from the Raigad Lok Sabha constituency
DB Patil dedicated his entire life to advocating for the rights of farmers and laborers. On August 16, 1999, he left the Shetkari Kamgar Paksha and joined the Shiv Sena. He later retired from active politics and passed away on June 24, 2013, in Panvel, Mumbai.
The decision to name the Navi Mumbai International Airport as Loknete DB Patil Navi Mumbai International Airport is seen as a tribute to his lifelong contributions to Maharashtra’s agricultural and labor communities.
