Supreme Court disposes plea on time-bound decision for Navi Mumbai Airport naming issue

The Supreme Court has disposed of a plea seeking directions for a time-bound decision on the Maharashtra government’s proposal regarding the naming of Navi Mumbai International Airport.

The petition had requested the Court to direct authorities to take a fixed-time decision on the state’s proposal to name the airport after Loknete D. B. Patil. However, the bench declined to intervene, observing that such matters fall under the policy domain of the government.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai questioned whether the judiciary could direct what name an airport should carry, adding that courts cannot pass orders in such policy matters.

With the dismissal of the plea, the Court effectively left the decision on the airport’s naming entirely to the Maharashtra government and the Centre, bringing the legal challenge to a close.