VIJAYAWADA: Close on the heels of its neighbour Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh on Thursday said it was opposed to the proposed Indian Ports Act, 2021 mooted by the Union Ministry of Shipping. Raising objections to the Bill, Industries and Commerce Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy said that several issues mentioned in the Bill were against federal spirit.
Participating in the Maritime State Development Council meeting under the Chairmanship of Union Minister of State for ports, shipping and waterways Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday, Goutham Reddy, while saying that the said bill is being studied by the AP Law department, asserted that the move to vest powers of the regulation of the ports with the Centre or the authorities appointed by it is nothing but taking away the powers of the State Maritime Boards/State governments.
The regulation of Minor Ports cannot be done by the Centre and the State government will have regulatory powers as it is in the Concurrent List, the minister said, adding that a protest would be launched taking the support of coastal states, if needed.Making it clear that AP will welcome the Bill only after the Centre agreed to make some amendments, he thanked it for approving a few changes suggested by AP. However, he added that the Bill in the present format cannot be accepted as it hampers the interests of the States governments.
“The Bill provides for the constitution of a Maritime Port Regulatory Authority for all minor ports of about 160 in India whereas for 13 major ports, there are 13 Regulatory Authorities under Major Ports Regulatory Authority Act, 2020, which is discriminatory. Therefore, the State Maritime Boards should be vested with the powers as in the case of major ports,” he demanded.
Stating that State ports are main drivers of local economy, he felt that the States will be deprived of the right of driving the economy if the control of the State ports is taken away. It is the State governments which provide the land and infrastructure for development of the minor ports, he pointed out.
Maintaining that the State government will extend issue-based support to the Centre, he said it will oppose any move that hampers the interests of the State. He also appealed to the Centre to set up a special fund for development of ports. “AP has the second largest coastline in the country. The proposed law seems to be curtailing the growth of the state,” the Industries Minister told the media later.
Panel to study Bill
Stating that State governments should have supervision and full control over ports, he said that AP sought one month to study and submit a report on the Bill. An expert committee would be appointed to study the Bill, the minister said.