Centre clears renaming of Aurangabad, Osmanabad

MUMBAI: The Central government has accepted Maharashtra government’s proposal to rename Aurangabad and Osmanabad as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv respectively. An intimation to this effect was sent to the state government by union home ministry on Friday.

Shinde government had passed a resolution to change the names of both the cities in central Maharashtra and sent it to the Centre for its nod on October 20, 2022. The prevision Thackeray government had also taken the same decision in its last cabinet meeting before then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s resignation in June 2022. However, Shinde had said that the previous decision had some technical errors which was why his cabinet had to pass it again.

While Aurangabad is named after Marathi king Shivaji Maharaj’s son Chhatrapati Sambhaji, in case of Osmanabad, the government went back to its historical local name. “The government has no objection to change the name,” said a letter to state’s general administration department on Saturday.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted the letter with their comments on Saturday.

“Maharashtra government’s decision is approved by the central government. Aurangabad renamed as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Osmanabad as Dharashiv. I thank prime minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah wholeheartedly,” wrote Shinde in his post. Fadnavis, too, thanked Modi and Shah for the decision and added that the government under Shinde has shown what it could do.

The Shiv Sena had been demanding renaming of both the cities in central Maharashtra or Marathwada for a long time. The demand was first raised by Shiv Sena founder late

Bal Thackeray in 1988. Since then, the issue kept cropping up periodically, especially during the elections.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Thackeray expressed satisfaction over the renaming and thanked the Central government for its approval to state’s proposal.

Aurangabad has been renamed as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Osmanabad as Dharashiv. EKNATH SHINDE,