Chandigarh international airport renamed after Bhagat Singh
Gaurav Kanthwal
Mohali, September 28
The Ministry of Civil Aviation today renamed Chandigarh International airport as ‘Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport’.
Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the plaque at Mohali and paid tributes to the national icon on his 115th birth anniversary.
Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Banwari Lal 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 Dr VK Singh were also present on the occasion.
Haryana Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala says both Punjab and Haryana rose above all considerations to rename the airport after the freedom fighter’s name. Chautala proposed a bust of Shaheed Bhagat Singh to be installed here before the Martyrdom Day on March23.
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann sought permission from Civil Aviation ministry to increase international flights from the airport.
With the renaming, the long pending demand to add Mohali, Chandigarh and Panchkula in the nomenclature has been laid to rest.
Three days ago, in his Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast, PM Modi said the Chandigarh airport will now be named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh as a tribute to the great freedom fighter.
Chandigarh International Airport Limited (CHIAL) is a joint venture company incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013 by Airports Authority of India (AAI) in association with governments of Punjab and Haryana.
The airport runway is in Chandigarh while the international terminal is located on the south side of the runway in the village of Jhiurheri in Mohali.
The AAI has a 51% share in the project. Punjab and Haryana have contributed 24.5% each.
