Univ, express train, award to be named after Vasantrao Naik

Even as Shiv Sena leaders are demanding that various public places be named or re-named after their late leader, Bal Thackeray, the state government has decided to rename the Marathwada university after former chief minister Vasantrao Naik.

The government has also decided to send a proposal to the railway ministry to rename the Vidarbha Express as Vasantrao Naik Vidarbha Express and institute the Vasantrao Naik Samaj Bhushan Award, which will  be presented to those working among the scheduled tribes and nomadic tribes.

 All these decisions were taken by a committee instituted to work out the modalities of Naik’s 100th birth anniversary celebrations on Friday, during a meeting chaired by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan.

The government also plans to build a memorial for Naik at Pusad and screen a documentary based on his life across the state. The committee also decided to organise agricultural exhibitions and conventions and issue a stamp in the former CM’s name.

Naik was the longest serving CM of Maharashtra from 1963 until 1975.