TBM Staff - Mumbai The Punjab and Haryana governments have agreed to rename Chandigarh’s international airport after freedom struggle icon Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Saturday after a meeting between the two governments.
Dushyant Chautala, Haryana’s Deputy Chief Minister, was present in the meeting. Chautala said the collective contribution of both states and the Chandigarh administration is involved in the construction and modernisation of the airport.
Chautala said since Haryana had an equal share in its construction, the name of the city Panchkula should also be added to its name.
“Punjab and Haryana agreed on the name of Chandigarh’s international airport after Shaheed Bhagat Singh ji. Had a meeting with Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on this issue today,” tweeted Mann after the meeting.
The airport’s terminal building falls in Punjab’s Mohali town. The INR 485-crore airport project is a joint venture of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the governments of Punjab and Haryana.
This is not the first time that a name change after the freedom fighter has been suggested.
The Punjab government in 2017 had demanded that the airport should be named as “Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Mohali”.
In 2016, the Haryana Assembly unanimously passed a resolution to name Chandigarh airport after Bhagat Singh.
The Punjab government has already declared a state holiday on March 23, the martyrdom day of legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.
After Chief Minister’s orders, the government has put up pictures of Bhagat Singh and BR Ambedkar at all its offices.
