Itanagar: The Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly on the first day of the three-day monsoon session of the assembly on Tuesday adopted a Government resolution regarding naming of the newly-constructed Greenfield Airport, Hollongi near the State capital as ‘Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar’.
The resolution, moved by Civil Aviation Minister Nakap Nalo, was unanimously adopted by the House following a brief discussion. As per the resolution, the State Government will take up the matter with the Government of India.
The resolution read: “The Members of the Legislative Assembly of Arunachal Pradesh is of the opinion that the ‘Greenfield Airport, Hollongi’ accorded and approved by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India on 18th January, 2019 and constructed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) be renamed as ‘Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar’ to reflect the people’s age-old indigenous reverence on the Sun (Donyi) and the Moon (Polo) to symbolize the age-old tradition and rich cultural heritage of the tribal State”.
Members from both treasury and opposition benches appreciated the Pema Khandu government for bringing in the resolution.
Participating in the discussion, senior Congress member Ninong Ering said, “Donyi-Polo is very sacred to us. Naming of the airport after Donyi-Polo will be written in golden letters and for this, people will remember us all in the years to come”.
BJP member Lokam Tassar said it was a genuine and logical step by the government to name the state’s largest airport after Donyi-Polo, being worshipped by the ethnic tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.
Congress legislator Lombo Tayeng also took part in the discussion and hailed the resolution.
The State Cabinet had on August 4 approved the proposal of naming of the Greenfield Airport as Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar, drawing mixed reactions from the people of the state.
“This name of the lone airport in the capital city will symbolize the age-old tradition and rich cultural heritage of the tribal State and also will reflect the people’s age-old indigenous reverence on the Sun (Donyi) and the Moon (Polo),” a statement from the CMO had said.
Earlier, Chief Minister Pema Khandu had on May 25 shot off a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, suggesting naming of the airport.
Built-in an area of 685 acres at the estimated cost of Rs 660 crore, the airport is suitable for the operation of Airbus-320 type of aircraft. It can accommodate 300 passengers during peak hours with eight check-in counters, the AAI has said.
The airport was scheduled to be inaugurated on August 15 to mark the 75th anniversary of the country’s Independence but was postponed till October due to the non-receipt of the flight schedule from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the State Civil Aviation Minister had said.
