Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council Tuesday passed a resolution unanimously seeking the renaming of two airports in the state.
The resolution to be sent to the Union government has demanded that the Gannavaram airport near Vijayawada be named as Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao-Amaravati Airport after the legendary Telugu film actor and founder of regional Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Amaravati is the new upcoming capital of the state.
The resolution sought that the Renigunta Airport near Tirupati should be named as Shri Venkateshwara Airport after the deity of Tirumala temple. Earlier this month the state cabinet had also recommended the renaming of the two airports. Union Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapati Raju, who belongs to TDP, has agreed in principle to the idea of renaming the airport.
Earlier, the domestic terminal of Begumpet International Airport in Hyderabad was named after NT Rama Rao while the International Airport was named after former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. But when it was relocated to Shamshabad, the Greenfiled International Airport was named only after Rajiv Gandhi and NTR’s name was dropped.
The TDP, which was in opposition at the time, had vowed to get the airport renamed after NTR on coming back to power in the state. Now as the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh has closed the option of changing the name of Hyderabad aiport, the TDP government in truncated Andhra Pradesh state has decided to name its own airport after NTR.
There was also a demand to name the airport at Rajahmundry after GMC Balayogi, the late Speaker of Lok Sabha.
