Punjab, Haryana agree to name Chandigarh international airport after Bhagat Singh

In a statement, Chautala said, “The new name was finalised after meeting with Punjab’s CM. Shaheed Bhagat Singh is an idol for the youth. He has inspired the youth of every generation”.

Stating that collective contribution of both states and the Chandigarh Administration is involved in the construction and modernisation of the airport, Punjab and Haryana agree to name Chandigarh international airport after Bhagat Singh Chautala said the name of Panchkula should also be added to its name.

Chautala said he has sent a recommendation on behalf of the Haryana government to the Punjab government. He added the same request will be sent to the central government in this regard.

An earlier move to rename the Chandigarh international airport had led to a controversy. The Punjab government in 2017 had demanded that the airport should be named as “Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Mohali”. The Haryana government led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had raised an objection over using Mohali, which falls in Punjab, in the airport’s name.

Punjab had given 307 acres of land in Mohali for the airport. The Rs 485-crore airport project is a joint venture of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the governments of Punjab and Haryana. Punjab and Haryana have 24.5 per cent share each while the AAI has 51 per cent share.

After Punjab put up the proposal with Centre, then Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju had said that a war of words over renaming of the airport was uncalled for. “Punjab government had made a request and Haryana government has also made a request, and everybody feels that there is no need for a controversy,” Raju had said, adding that Bhagat Singh is a martyr of the country and not of a community.

With the two states now agreeing on the issue, sources in Punjab government, aware of the developments, said that the two governments will write separately to the Centre to carry out the renaming.

Earlier in 2007, to mark the birth centenary of Bhagat Singh, the Punjab government had mooted the proposal to name the airport after the freedom fighter. Haryana government had objected then too stating that Punjab wanted to stake claim to the airport on which Haryana also had a right as Chandigarh was their joint capital.

Later, Khattar government wanted to name the airport after RSS leader Mangal Sein.