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U.P. ready with draft Act to set up Inland Waterways Authority
The government, according to the officials dealing with the subject, is ready with the draft Act under which UP will set up its own Inland Waterways Authority on the pattern of the Inland Waterways Authority of India and proposal to create the new body may get Cabinet nod next week.
Lucknow: The Inland Waterways Authority of Uttar Pradesh that the Yogi government is to set up very soon, venturing into the realm of water transportation, will also have the responsibility to enforce provisions of the Inland Vessels Act that, among other things, empowers states to create rules to ensure safety of inland mechanically propelled vessels, including boats.
The government, according to the officials dealing with the subject, is ready with the draft Act under which UP will set up its own Inland Waterways Authority on the pattern of the Inland Waterways Authority of India and proposal to create the new body may get Cabinet nod next week.
Chief secretary Durga Shankar Mishra held a high-level meeting on Thursday with transport department officials to review the readiness of the proposal and the draft Act.
“The proposal to set up the Inland Waterways Authority of Uttar Pradesh may be sent to the Cabinet when it meets next,” transport commissioner CB Singh told HT. “We have finalized the draft Act that will be tabled in the state legislature during the forthcoming session for legislative clearance.” He said the rules would be framed later after the Act came into force.
The proposed Authority, as per the draft Act, will comprise a full-time chairman, a vice-chairman, a secretary and four directors from different fields like research and development, finance, administration etc. The transport commissioner will be ex-officio chief executive officer of the body.
Both the chairman and the vice-chairman will hold office for five years from the date of their appointment to the Authority that will have its headquarters in Lucknow with regional offices as per the requirement.
“Like the transport department has the responsibility to enforce the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act in the state, the Inland Waterways Authority of UP will be entrusted to enforce the Centre’s Inland Vessels Act in UP,” additional transport commissioner Rajiv Srivastava said.
Some of the functions and powers of the Authority include bringing uniformity in application of law relating to inland waterways and navigation within the state, providing for safety of navigation, protection of life and cargo, and prevention of pollution that may be caused by the use or navigation of inland vessels, to ensure transparency and accountability of administration of inland water transportation, to strengthen procedures governing the inland vessels, their construction, survey, registration, manning, navigation etc.
“The very first thing the Authority is supposed to do is to carry out a detailed study to find out navigable rivers in UP and make them navigable if they are not, before declaring some waterways in the state to start tourist and cargo vessels there,” Srivastava said.
UP that will achieve the distinction of being among the few states in the country and first in northern India to have its own Inland Waterways Authority is believed to have studied the water transport systems of other states, primarily that of Assam, before drafting its own Act.
