Stalin asks CMs of all coastal states to oppose Draft Ports bill

Chief Minister M K Stalin, on Tuesday, wrote a DO letter to his counterparts of all nine coastal states in India urging them to oppose the newly proposed Draft Indian Ports Bill, 2021.

"Many powers currently exercised by state governments would be taken over by the union government, if the Bill is passed.You (coastal states) will agree that the present system has led to good development of minor ports,under the states.  This move of the central government to bring a new Bill will 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", said Stalin, in the letter written to Chief Ministers of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and Puducherry.

Stalin also said that as per the existing Indian Ports Act,1908, the powers to plan, develop, regulate and control the minor ports vest with the state governments but the new Draft Indian Ports Bill 2021 proposes to change this and transfer many of these powers to Maritime State Development Council (MSDC), which has so far been only an advisory body.

Stalin, apart from seeking the coastal states to raise objections to the new Bill, also urges states to prevent any move to dilute the powers already vested with the states. Stalin also requested the coastal states to communicate these comments, on similar lines, opposing the Bill during the MSDC meeting scheduled on June 24.