Maharashtra: Sawantwadi railway station to be renamed in honour of former rail minister Madhu Dandavate

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (right) chairs a cabinet meeting with Deputy CM Eknath Shinde (centre), and Sunetra Ajit Pawar (left), in Mumbai, on Tuesday. PIC COURTESY/X/@CMOMaharashtra

The Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to name the Sawantwadi railway station after veteran socialist leader and former Union minister, the late Madhu Dandavate, who is widely regarded as the architect of the Konkan Railway project. The decision was taken at the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Renaming after Centre's nod

For the past several years, there has been a strong demand from people in the Konkan region to honour Dandavate's contribution by naming an important railway station after him. Accordingly, the state cabinet approved the proposal on Tuesday. The approved proposal will be forwarded to the Government of India (GoI). After approval from the Centre, the station will be officially renamed as ‘Lokmanya Madhu Dandavate Railway Terminus'.

Contributions to Konkan rail

Madhu Dandavate served as the Union Railway Minister and played a key role in pushing forward the ambitious Konkan Railway project. Known for consistently raising railway-related issues concerning the Konkan region, Dandavate is credited by many for laying the foundation and vision for the railway line that transformed connectivity across the coastal belt. During his tenure as minister of railways, he commissioned the first phase of the Konkan Railway, and introduced cushioned seats for second-class compartments to improve passenger comfort.

About Madhu Dandavate

Madhu Dandavate

Dandavate was born in Ahmednagar (now Ahilyanagar) in 1924. Trained as a physicist (he taught physics at a Mumbai college), he participated in the Quit India Movement, and joined the socialist movement before plunging into full-time politics. He was jailed during the 1975 Emergency imposed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He served as the Union Railway Minister in the Morarji Desai government from 1977 to 1979, and later as India's finance minister in VP Singh's government between 1989 and 1990. His connection to Konkan lasted several decades. He was a MP representing Konkan's Rajapur constituency from 1971 to 1991.

1977-1979
Years Madhu Dandavate served as Union Railways Minister