No More Airports In India To Be Named After Netas, Says Government
In an unexpected move, some state governments have recommended doing away with the system of naming new airports after individuals, a proposal that is being considered by the civil aviation ministry.
"The proposal has come from some of the state governments but a final decision is yet to be taken. It will, however, not result in a change of name for any of existing airports," minister of state for civil aviation Mahesh Sharma said.
Naming airports and other facilities after politicians has been a trend in the country and often triggered controversy.
Recently, there was a row over naming the Bengaluru airport with some violent protests demanding that the facility be named after Tipu Sultan instead of calling it Kempegowda International Airport. While the suggestion had come from theatre and film personality Girish Karnad, it later turned into a major controversy.
Similarly, at the Hyderabad airport, the domestic terminal was named as NT Rama Rao, the film star-turned politician, soon after TDP nominee Ashok Gajapathi Raju took charge as aviation minister in the Narendra Modi government.
Several airports across the country are named after politicians or freedom fighters, a practice that even the highly-politicised railways does not follow.
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