Pune: Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has expressed his shared disappointment with Pune residents over the lack of a dedicated civilian airport in the city.

"It is a matter of concern for me and all Pune residents that we do not have our own civilian airport. Currently, we rely on a defense-operated facility.

We have held numerous meetings to establish a dedicated civilian international airport, but progress has been slow due to land acquisition issues. However, we are committed to fulfilling this dream for Pune, even if it requires our utmost efforts," Pawar assured.

Pawar made these remarks during a felicitation event for teachers organized by Chintamani Dnyanpeeth and Appa Renuse Mitra Parivar at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch on Saturday.

He also highlighted ongoing efforts to elevate the status of the Marathi language. "We are working to grant Marathi the status of a classical language. We have recently passed a resolution in the legislative assembly and sent it to the central government. The 13 crore people of Maharashtra are eagerly waiting for Marathi to be recognized as a classical language, and we are committed to this cause," Pawar added.

Name Mix-Up Causes Stir:

During his address, Pawar repeatedly referred to the renowned cartoonist S. D. Phadnis as "Phadnavis," which sparked murmurs among the audience.

The mix-up led to speculation that Pawar, accustomed to referring to political colleague Devendra Fadnavis, had inadvertently used the wrong name.

The new terminal at Lohegoan airport was recently inaugurated and is expected to facilitate the smooth transportation of approximately 9 to 10 million passengers annually.

The new terminal at Lohegaon Airport was constructed to accommodate the growing number of air travelers in Pune, addressing the limitations of the old terminal.