Greeva Garg –
The Bombay High Court directed the Central Government to draft a Policy for naming and renaming of Airports.
The Court observed that the Aviation Ministry has appointed new Ministers for strengthening of their functionality.
A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish Kulkarni told additional Solicitor General Anil Singh that, “If there is no policy or if it is in the draft stage, get it done. You have a new set of ministers now. Let it be the first work of the Civil Aviation Ministry.”
The Bombay High Court was hearing the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Advocate Fiji Frederick for framing a central policy on airport naming.
“There should be a restraint on the State Government from taking any steps towards making a proposal for naming the upcoming international airport in Navi Mumbai until the policy is framed,” the PIL states.
The petitioner submitted before the High Court that, “Every time a new airport is to be launched or any existing airport is to be renamed, a controversy brews among political and regional circles with respect to naming the said airport by paying tributes to a well-known personality.”
Last month in June, a massive rally was held by the people in the state of Maharashtra over this particular issue of the drafting of Central policy for Airport naming.
After giving directions for policy establishment to the Central Government, the Court adjourned the matter till July 16.
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