Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Feb 11: New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) has become more autonomous along with 11 other major sea ports of the country after the Major Ports Authorities Bill - 2020 got approved in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, February 10.

The bill was approved in Lok Sabha on September 23, 2020. Speaking on the subject, Mansukh L Mandaviya, union minister of state for ports, shipping and waterways (independent charge), said, "We have not taken this action in order to privatize the ports. We are giving more power to the boards of main ports to take their own decisions in the administration. The intention is to give stiff competition to private ports."

Opposition parties including Congress, TMC, SP, RJD, DMK, CPM and CPI opposed the bill.

Earlier, the decisions taken by the administrative committees of the major ports with regard to the development of the port were to be sent to the union government for approval. According to the new act, the administrative committee under the leadership of the chairman of the sea port can give consent for the major development and financial related matters. This will enable the port to make it convenient for business in port in addition to providing local infrastructure quickly. The ports will get transformed into Landlord ports instead of the present service ports.

The number of acts in the Major Ports Trust Act of 1963 has been reduced to 76 from 134 in the new bill. Officers of railway, defence, customs and revenue departments will be additional members of the port board. There is an opportunity to give major operations of the port including port activities, maintenance and handling of ships to private companies under government-private joint participation as per the new act.