State cabinet clears proposal to rename Pune Airport as ‘Jagadguru Sant Tukaram Maharaj International Airport’

The state government on Monday approved a proposal to rename Pune’s Lohegaon airport as Jagadguru Sant Tukaram Maharaj Pune International Airport.

The state will now forward the proposal to the Centre which may take it up before the assembly election, said officials.

Pune MP and minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol had in August proposed to rename the airport after Sant Tukaram.

Mohol thanked the ruling Mahayuti alliance government of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), chief minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and deputy CM Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party.

“All the Mahayuti alliance leaders were positive about the proposal and accepted our demand and approved it. I am confident the Centre will approve it soon,” he said.

Murlidhar Mohol proposed naming the airport after the 17th-century saint, noting that Lohegaon, where the airport is situated, was the village of Sant Tukaram Maharaj’s mother.

As per the procedure, proposal for naming an airport comes from the state government to the central government for further processing.

Last week, Fadnavis and Union minister Nitin Gadkari were in the city to attend various events when Fadnavis had promised to give nod for the proposal.

Gadkari had assured approval and said, “I am happy that the new name for Pune airport had been suggested in the name of Sant Tukaram Maharaj. I will speak with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ensure to get permission for the proposal soon.”