Lack of provision for state maritime board in proposed Indian Ports Bill: Odisha

Odisha commerce and transport minister Padmanabha Behera has written a letter to Union ports, shipping and waterways minister Mansukh Mandaviya, pointing out that bills should not be expedited in the House

Published on: Jun 30, 2021, 09:01:19 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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The Odisha government has protested to the Centre against the lack of provision of a state maritime board in the proposed Indian Ports Bill, 2021.

Union ports, shipping and waterways minister Mansukh Mandaviya. (File photo)

In a letter to Union ports, shipping and waterways minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Odisha commerce and transport minister Padmanabha Behera said, “Odisha is in the process of constituting Odisha State Maritime Board. The proposed bill for the same is now with the ministry of home affairs awaiting the assent of the President after being passed by the Odisha Legislative Assembly in February 2021. There is no provision in the Indian Ports Bill, 2021 to include a State Maritime Board which is constituted at a later date by a state enactment. The Union government, through Maritime States Development Council (MSDC), seeks to appropriate this authority of the state through the proposed bill,” Behera wrote.

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While passing the bill in February this year, the state government had said the State Maritime Board will be the authority that allows construction, maintenance and operation of ports in the state directly or through PPP mode. It will also regulate and control navigation within the limits of the port and port approaches.

“The proposed provision, instead of making India a strong maritime nation, through its centralisation of authority will stunt the growth of port-led development in the nation. Also, this proposal is against the very spirit of cooperative federalism and empowerment of states,” he said.

Behera said MSDC has been in existence as a notified advisory body since 1997, focusing on integrated planning and development of ports and inland waterways. “MSDC should only comprise ministers of coastal states and the Union minister for ports, like the GST council...The draft Bill mandates centralisation of many routine functions to MSDC such as, conducting enquiry, deciding tariff structure etc. which will be very limiting and less efficient. MSDC’s role should continue to be recommendatory and advisory as before,” Behera said in the letter.

Behera also requested that important bills are not expedited and proper deliberations are done with stakeholder states.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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