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Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has circulated draft of Indian Ports Bill 2020 for public consultation which will repeal and replace the Indian Ports Act, 1908

Highlights of the bill

• It will enable the structured growth and sustainable development of ports to attract investments in the Port sector for optimum utilisation of the Indian Coastline byeffective administration and management of ports.
  
• The proposed Bill will provide measures to facilitate conservation of ports,
  
• It shall further ensure greater investment in the Indian maritime and ports sector through the creation of improved, comprehensive regulatory frameworks for the creation of new ports and management of existing ports.
• The Bill also seeks to create an enabling environment for the growth and sustained development of the ports sector in India through the following broad methods

• Constitution of Maritime Port Regulatory Authority
• Formulation of the National Port policy and National Port plan in consultation with Coastal State Governments, State Maritime Boards and other stakeholders.
• Formulation of specialised Adjudicatory Tribunals namely Maritime Ports Tribunal and Maritime Ports Appellate Tribunal.

• The up-to-date provisions of the proposed Bill would ensure safety, security, pollution control, performance standards and sustainability of Ports.
• The Bill ensures that all up-to-date conventions /protocols to which India is a party, are also suitably incorporated.
• This will promote marine safety and security in the true sense. T

Enhancing “Ease of Doing Business’,it will provide greater impetus to a self-reliant domestic investment climate in the maritime sector, towards Atamanirbhar Bharat initiatives of the Government.

Source: PIB