Shipping Ministry issues Draft Indian Ports Bill, 2020 for public consultation
New Delhi, Dec 11 (UNI) With an aim to structured growth and sustainable development of ports for optimum utilisation of the Indian Coastline by effective administration and management of ports, the Shipping Ministry on Friday said that it has circulated draft of Indian Ports Bill 2020 for public consultation which will repeal and replace the Indian Ports Act, 1908 (Act No. 15 of 1908).
The proposed Bill will provide measures to facilitate conservation of ports, taking into account the prevalent situation with respect to the high number of non-operational ports. It shall further ensure greater investment in the Indian maritime and ports sector through the creation of improved, comprehensive regulatory frameworks for the creation of new ports and management of existing ports.
Describing it as a game changer in the Indian maritime sector specially for bringing more investments, the Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said “We are working on creation of a National Port Grid which will also bolster structured growth and sustained development of Ports and ensure achieving this objective on fast track basis”.
Consequently, it will result into revolutionary maritime reforms transmuting the Indian maritime set-up entirely in the times to come, he further said.
The Bill also seeks to, inter alia, create an enabling environment for the growth and sustained development of the ports sector by constitution of Maritime Port Regulatory Authority, formulation of the National Port policy and National Port plan in consultation with Coastal State Governments, State Maritime Boards and other stakeholders and also formulation of specialised Adjudicatory Tribunals namely Maritime Ports Tribunal and Maritime Ports Appellate Tribunal to curb any anti-competitive practises in the port sector and act as a speedy and affordable grievance redressal mechanism.
The Bill ensures that all up-to-date conventions /protocols to which India is a party, are also suitably incorporated and will promote marine safety and security in the true sense. The Bill will fill up the gaps for achieving scientific development of Ports and Port Network.
The draft of Indian Ports Bill 2020 is issued for public consultation for seeking the feedback and suggestions. This can be accessed on the link http:hipmin.gov.in/sites/default/files/IPAbill.pdf and suggestions can be sent to sagar.mala@nic.in by 24 December, 202
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