Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin on Tuesday wrote to his counterparts in nine States asking their support in opposing the actions initiated by Government of India “on management of minor ports hitherto managed and regulated by State Governments.”
Stalin asked all coastal States and Union Territories to express their objection to the Draft Indian Ports Bill 2021, which according to him was an aggression on the powers and rights enjoyed by the States to manage the minor ports. There are nearly 200 minor ports dotting India's coast line.
In a demi-official letter dated June 21, excerpts of which were released to the media on Tuesday Stalin told chief ministers of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, Odisha and West Bengal that the ‘Draft Indian Ports Bill 2021’ to modify the current management model of minor ports was an attempt to rob the States of their powers.
“As per the existing Indian Ports Act,1908,the powers to plan, develop, regulate and control the minor ports vests with the State Governments concerned. However, the new draft Indian Ports Bill 2021 proposes to change this and transfer many of these powers to MSDC (Maritime State Development Council), which has so far been only an advisory body. Further to this, many powers currently exercised by State Governments would be taken over by the Union Government,” writes Satlin in his letter.
He said the move of the Central Government to bring a new Bill would 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.
But experts in maritime sector describe Stalin’s apprehensions as much ado about nothing. “There is no hard and fast rules that say that minor ports belong to the domain of States,” said Captain Hariharan Balakrishnan, formerly of Indian Navy.
“The Centre has every right to decide how ports, both major and minor ports, should be developed. How many minor ports are being operated by State Governments? We do have minor ports but the Centre can take over them as and when it wishes,” said Captain Balakrishnan.
The Constitution of India has clearly stated in Article 246 ( sections 24 to 28) that Ports, Maritime Shipping and Navigation on Inland Waterways come under the jurisdiction of the Centre while Ports other than those declared by or under law made by Parliament or existing law to be major ports fall under the Concurrent List where the Centre calls the shots.