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New Delhi, 17: “Aurangabad
is the tourism capital of Maharashtra.National and international tourists in
large numbers visit the World heritageand historical sites. Being an important
industrial hub as well, the Aurangabad Airport be elevated to an international
airport along withits runway expansion, urged the Industries and Guardian
Minister of Aurangabad, Shri Subhash Desai in a meeting with the Union Civil
Aviation Minister, Shri JyotiradityaScindia, here today.
The meeting was held at Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan. Shri Desai
urged for Government of India permission and sanction for various issues
concerning Aurangabad Airport. Issues like renaming of Aurangabad airport in
the name of Maratha Warrior King, ChhatrapatiSambhajiMaharaj, airport
expansion, increase in the frequency of flights and erecting a full size Statue
of ChhatrapatiSambhajiMaharajat the airport were discussed at length.To which,
the Civil Aviation Minister gave an affirmative assurance. Union Finance
Minister of State, Dr Bhagwat Karadwas also present.
The Minister deliberated
on the issue of Airport expansion. He said, Runway at the
Aurangabad Airport needs to be expanded owing to the increase in Air Traffic
and future air travel requirements of Aurangabad. Once, if the GoI gives a nod
to this expansion, the Airport will be elevated as an international airport. He further
informed the Union Minister about the Aurangabad airport becoming the part of
the city due to rapid urbanization and acquisition of 182 acre land is needed
for the proposed expansion. Informing further, Shri Desai assured of
seeking land acquisition from the local administration speedily. And once this issue is sorted from the State
front, expedition from GoI will be needed immediately, he urged. This will
facilitate international flights as tourists from countries like Japan, Korea,
and United States visit Aurangabad in large numbers, he added.
Deliberating on the issues,
Shri Desai sought for the change in name of the present Aurangabad Airport to
‘ChhatrapatiSambhajiMaharaj’ Airport. The contribution of
ChhatrapatiSambhajiMaharaj to the Maratha Empire has been immense and he is an
iconic figure in Maharashtra’s rich and vibrant history, Shri Desai added. He
further said, a resolution to recommend changing the name of the Aurangabad
Airport to ChhatrapatiSambhajiMaharaj Airport has been approved by the State
Cabinet under the able Chairmanship of the Chief Minister, Shri Uddhav
Thackeray. Thereafter it has been unanimously passed in March 2020 by both the
houses of the Maharashtra State Legislature. The Same resolution has already
been forwarded to the Ministry of Civil Aviation Ministry. Responding to this,
Shri Scindia informed, GoI has received representation for renaming of various
airports across 13 States. The review
for these representations is under the purview of the Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi and the Union Cabinet. Once a decision on this issue is taken up,
the issue for renaming the Aurangabad airport will be cleared.
The Industries Minister took up the issue of
increasing the frequency of flights between towards Aurangabad. However, on
priority basis, flights between Mumbai and Aurangabad be increased at the
earliest, he requested. Adding further, the frequency of flight from Mumbai to
Aurangabad (Sambhajinagar) as International Tourist Destination and Industrial
Hub of Marathwada region is only in the evening, which should be increased in
the morning as well, he urged. The frequency of flightswill be able tocarry
sufficient passenger load to meet the requirements, to which the union minister
replied in positive.
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