M Ok Stalin mentioned Tamil Nadu has taken up the problem with Ministry for Ports and Shipping, File
Chennai:
The Tamil Nadu authorities has opposed the Draft Indian Ports Bill 2021, coping with the administration of minor ports, with Chief Minister M Ok Stalin writing to his counterparts in eight states, together with West Bengal and Kerala, calling for his or her objection to the proposal.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has framed the draft Bill to change the present administration mode of minor ports and a gathering of the Maritime State Development Council (MSDC) has been referred to as with the state Ministers on June 24 to debate it, he mentioned.
The communication issued on June 21 was launched as we speak by the state authorities. According to the prevailing Indian Ports Act, 1908, the powers to plan, develop, regulate and management minor ports are with the state governments involved however the newest draft “proposes to change this and transfer many of these powers to MSDC, which has so far been only an advisory body”, he mentioned.
“Further to this, many powers currently exercised by state governments would be taken over by the Union government,” he mentioned in his letter to the CMs of Gujarat, Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and the union territory of Puducherry. “You will agree that the present system has led to good development of minor ports, under the states. This move of the Central Government to bring a new Bill will have long term adverse implications on the management of minor ports, since the state governments will not have any major role anymore, if the Bill is passed,” Mr Stalin mentioned. Tamil Nadu has already taken up the problem with the Ministry for Ports and Shipping, strongly opposing such steps to scale back the autonomous function of states in regulation and administration of minor ports, he mentioned.
“Therefore, I propose that all the coastal states and union territories should express their objection to this new draft Indian Ports Bill 2021 and take joint action to prevent any move to dilute the powers already vested with the states.”
“I also request that, all our state governments must communicate these comments on similar lines, opposing the above bill during the MSDC Meeting on June 24,” he added.
