Panvel: Residents of 27 villages in Panvel taluka have announced their decision to boycott voting in all future elections including local body, municipal corporation, Assembly and Lok Sabha polls after
the Centre failed to name the Navi Mumbai International Airport after late mass leader DB Patil.
DB Patil 27 Villages Organisation Leads Protest
The decision was formally communicated to the district collector and the Panvel tehsildar through a written memorandum. Members of the DB Patil 27 Villages Project-Affected Social Organisation, along with several local representatives and villagers, were present during the submission.
The villagers expressed strong resentment, stating that despite repeated demands, the Union government has not yet approved naming the airport after DB Patil, who is widely regarded as a key figure in farmers’ and people’s movements in the region.
Villagers Demand Justice and Recognition
“The airport has been built on land acquired from local farmers. Our homes and farmlands were taken for this national project. Naming the airport after DB Patil is not just a demand, it is a matter of justice and recognition,” said a representative of the project-affected villagers.
Large tracts of agricultural land and residential properties from several villages in Panvel taluka were acquired by CIDCO for the construction of the Navi Mumbai International Airport. Local residents argue that DB Patil played a pivotal role in championing the rights of farmers and landowners during major infrastructure projects in the region.
Boycott to Continue Until Demand Met
“The people of these villages have made enormous sacrifices for the development of the airport. If our sentiments continue to be ignored, we see no option but to stay away from the democratic process,” another villager said.
The villagers reiterated their demand that the facility be officially named ‘ DB Patil Navi Mumbai International Airport’, warning that the proposed boycott would remain in force until the demand is met.
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