PIL seeks direction to name Navi Mumbai airport after D B Patil ‘to avoid future unrest’, Bombay HC says it has no power to do so

The petitioner submitted that the purpose behind the filing of the petition was “to avoid any future unrest” in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.

However, the bench noted, “To begin with, we would indicate that a writ court exercising powers under Article 226 of the Constitution of India shall have no powers to issue a direction to the Ministry of Civil Aviation to take a decision on the proposal posed by the State of Maharashtra.”

The bench also stated that in legal parlance, “a proposal is only an expression of an intention and the decision thereof can be taken as per the extensive regulations and statutory provisions.”

“This writ petition seeking mandamus to the Ministry of Civil Aviation does not lie also for the reason that the petitioner Sanstha has failed to demonstrate that it has a legally enforceable right in law and the corresponding duty upon the respondents are not being discharged by them. Thus, petition is dismissed,” the bench said in its order.
On October 3, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that “it has been assured that the airport will be named Loknete D B Patil Navi Mumbai International Airport” and that a proposal for it was recently presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “who has given a positive response”.
Modi inaugurated phase one of the airport on October 3 but flights are yet to start operations from there.

From the homepage

‘Sophisticated’ cross-border supply chain of arms, narcotics exposed as NIA chargesheets ‘mastermind’

‘Accidental explosion’: Centre says Nowgam police station blast triggered during forensic sampling process

Lalu’s daughter Rohini says quitting politics, disowning family day after RJD rout in Bihar polls