Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has assured that the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) will be named after the people’s leader D B Patil.
He made these remarks while addressing a public meeting in Airoli during the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) election campaign on Monday, January 12.
Fadnavis further stated that Navi Mumbai is an extension of Mumbai and will emerge as the next engine of economic growth.
He said the airport would support sectors such as pharmaceuticals, innovation, food processing, services, and import-export, enabling the city to expand its economic base.
Additionally, various infrastructure projects are underway to address traffic congestion, including a new junction at Kalamboli and the Kharghar-Turbhe tunnel. A metro network was being developed through CIDCO to improve connectivity across the city.
Who is D B Patil?
Dinkar Balu Patil, popularly known as DB Patil, was a senior leader from Raigad district. An MLA from Panvel in Raigad district between 1957 and 1980, he was known for his fight for farmers’ rights. He was born in Jasai village in Uran taluka of Raigad district and came from a farming family. He completed his LLB degree in 1951. A year later, he entered public life after winning the Kolaba district local board election.
Patil was associated with the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) for most of his political career. He also served as a Member of Parliament from Kolaba in 1977 and again in 1984. In 1992, he became a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council.
Patil served as Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly from 1972 to 1977 and again during 1982–83. He was arrested during the Emergency in 1975 for opposing government policies.
He led several protests in Panvel and surrounding areas after CIDCO acquired land during the 1970s and 1980s. In a major protest in 1984, four farmers were killed. This agitation later led to the introduction of the 12.5% developed land scheme for affected farmers, which is now followed across Maharashtra.
Patil also fought for villagers displaced by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust project in Uran. He led these protests while he was in an ambulance at the age of 86. He died in 2012 at 87.