Give autonomy to manage minor ports: AP to Centre

Visakhapatnam: ANDHRA Pradesh has strongly pleaded for autonomy to the States in regulating non-major ports (minor ports) while welcoming the proposed Maritime States Development Council (MSDC).

Industries and Commerce Minister Mekapati Gowtham Reddy in a meeting held virutally by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said on Thursday that the State was happy with efforts for ensuring faster mechanism to facilitate exports, support port-led development and integrated development of major and non-major ports through MSDC.

Referring to Indian Ports Bill, he said draft Bill has undergone significant changes from the previous draft. The legal department of the State Government is still reviewing the Bill, prima-facie. He said the Bill provides for the constitution of one 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 among minor and major ports. Therefore, the State Maritime Boards be vested with the powers of Maritime Port Regulatory Authority for each State as in the case of major ports.

Reddy said the powers of the regulation of the port are vested with the Central Government or the authorities appointed by them taking away the powers of the State Maritime Boards/State Governments. "The regulation of minor ports cannot be done by the Government of India and the State Government will have regulatory powers as it is in the Concurrent List," he said.

In his presentation, he pointed out that the minor ports being the main drivers of the State economy, they (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 stated.

The Minister regretted that in spite of all these facts, if the GoI still intends to proceed to enact the Bill without considering the views of stakeholders and urged the Centre to at least consider exempting the existing operational ports and the ports which are under construction.

Reddy said the Government of AP, under the young and dynamic leadership of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is deeply aligned with the vision of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat and eager to make AP one of the first State to embrace and deliver this vision to the people of the State.

He said AP is one of the champion States that could propel the Indian economy forward and is a resource-rich State with access to airports, seaports, and thus has huge potential to promote exports. The State is developing three ports at Bhavanapadu, Machilipatnam and Ramayapatnam.

He said that fisheries in AP contribute to 1.61 per cent of global and 24 per cent of national fish production and ranked No. 1 in total fish and shrimp production in the country. AP is home for 90 processing units.

The Minister thanked the Centre road connectivity provided, being provided under various government schemes including

Sagarmala. Certain ports such as Gangavaram, Krishnapatnam and gateway port proposed at Kakinada are eagerly looking at completion of roads that are very important for the development and expansion of the ports. Totally 32 connectivity projects are being undertaken in AP and a few more are under DPR and planning stages.

The regulation of minor ports cannot be done by the Government of India and the State Government will have regulatory powers as it is in the Concurrent List

— Mekapati Gowtham Reddy, Minister for Industries and Commerce