Mohali: Union Minister to rename international airport after Shaheed Bhagat Singh today

Tribune News Service

Mohali, September 27

Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will rename the international airport here after Shaheed Bhagat Singh at a ceremony to mark the 115th birth anniversary of the national icon tomorrow.

Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Banwarilal Purohit, Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatraya, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij, Anandpur Sahib MP Manish Tewari, Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher and Minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh will be present during the renaming ceremony at the airport at 10:30 am.

From tomorrow, the airport will be called “Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Chandigarh”.

Two days ago, in his “Mann Ki Baat” radio broadcast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the Chandigarh airport would be named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh as a tribute to the great freedom fighter.

The naming of the Chandigarh international airport was a contentious issue hanging fire for years.

The Punjab Government in 2017 had demanded that the airport be named as Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Mohali. But, the Haryana Government said it had no objection over the use of Bhagat Singh’s name but it had reservations over the use of ‘Mohali’ and no mention of Panchkula in the nomenclature.

The airport is situated in a Defence airfield that is being used by civilian operators as well. The air traffic control and runway operations are looked after by the Indian Aair Force staff.

Rs 939-crore facility unveiled in 2015

• PM Modi inaugurated the new terminal for domestic and international flights on September 11, 2015.
• Chandigarh International Airport Limited (CHIAL) is a joint venture company incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013, by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in collaboration with the governments of Punjab and Haryana.
• The airport runway falls in Chandigarh while the international terminal is located on the south side of the runway, which falls in Jhiurheri village, Mohali.
• In the Rs 939-crore project, operated by CHIAL, AAI has 51% share. Punjab and Haryana has 24.5% share each.

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