India Approves Major Port Authorities Bill
By Aiswarya Lakshmi
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
The government of India has approved a draft bill to empower 12 major ports in India by providing them full autonomy in decision-making for greater efficiency.
According to Union Minister of State for Shipping Mansukh Lal Mandaviya, the Major Port Authorities Bill, 2016 once enacted, would replace the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963.
"With the growth and development of private ports, the major ports are facing severe competition and difficulties in implementing the changes which may help them compete in the evolving market conditions. The regulation of tariff in the major ports by the Central Government are some of the critical factors hindering their growth and development. To provide greater autonomy, flexibility to the Major Ports and to professionalize their governance, it is proposed to repeal the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 and to replace it with a new legislation, namely the Major Ports Authorities Bill, 2016," says a statement from the government.
The Bill will constitute a Board of Port Authority for each major port in the place of the Board of Trustees. enable the Board of Port Authority to use its property, assets and funds in such manner and for such purposes as it may deem fit for the benefit of the major ports.
An Adjudicatory Board has been proposed inter-alia for expeditious disposal of disputes between ports and PPP concessionaries and suggest measures for revival of such stressed to them. This will help boost private investment in port sector and enable faster dispute resolution.