Mumbai, Jan 12 (PTI) The Navi Mumbai International Airport will be named after the people's leader, late D B Patil, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, asserting that the facility will play a key role in the region's economic expansion.

Addressing a public meeting in Airoli during the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation election campaign, Fadnavis said, "The international airport started in Navi Mumbai will be named after the people's leader late D B Patil," and added that the project would strengthen growth in multiple sectors.

Fadnavis said Navi Mumbai is an extension of Mumbai and will emerge as the next engine of economic growth.

He said the airport would support sectors such as pharmaceuticals, innovation, food processing, services, and import-export, enabling the city to expand its economic base.

"Various infrastructure projects are underway to address traffic congestion, including a new junction at Kalamboli and the Kharghar-Turbhe tunnel. A metro network was being developed through CIDCO to improve connectivity across the city," he said.

Fadnavis added that the Shilar and Poshir projects would address the drinking water needs of Navi Mumbai residents in the coming days.

"An EduCity would be developed in Navi Mumbai, which would attract leading universities from across the world and provide education and employment opportunities to students locally," the chief minister said.

Addressing housing concerns, he said redevelopment of houses at the Ghansoli simplex would be undertaken, while the APMC market would be developed at the same location.

He added that tenders had been floated for a multi-speciality hospital in Belapur and work on a central library at Manpada had also begun.

Fadnavis said the government would introduce schemes for the fishermen community and locals.

He appealed to voters to elect BJP candidates with a large majority on January 15, stating that the government would take responsibility for the city's development over the next five years. PTI ND NSK

Navi Mumbai airport to be named after D B Patil and positioned as a regional economic growth engine. The state announced that Navi Mumbai International Airport will be named after the late D B Patil and positioned as a strategic asset to drive regional economic expansion across pharmaceuticals, innovation, food processing, services and import export. The airport is presented alongside complementary projects: road and tunnel improvements, metro development through the planning authority, water supply schemes, housing redevelopment at Ghansoli, APMC market redevelopment, tendering for a multi speciality hospital, construction of a central library, an EduCity initiative to attract universities, and targeted schemes for fishermen and locals.