The Union Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had introduced a new draft Indian Ports Bill, 2021 recently, which says the management of the minor ports will be transferred to the Centre from the respective States and Union Territories by repealing the Indian Ports Act, 1908 Act.
DMK Chief, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin found fault with the Centre over the new bill that reduces the hold of the States/Union Territories on the ports. He sought support from the Chief Ministers of other states to oppose the new bill.
Mr. Stalin has written to a total of nine Chief Ministers in this regard. The Chief Ministers of eight States and one Union Territory- Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Goa, Maharashtra, Kerala, Odisha, West Bengal, and Puducherry received letters from Stalin in which he sought support from them.
In the letter, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister maintained that, if the Centre’s bill gets approved, the States and Union Territories would lose the power and authority on the management of the ports.
Saying that the minor ports are doing well under the respective state and UT government, Stalin said, once the new bill gets approval, the governments will lose the authority and its the time, we should oppose the bill.
He urged that the new bill should be opposed and a combined action is required in order to see that the States and UTs won’t lose their powers.
Stalin has sought a combined action from his counterparts ahead of the Maritime State Development Council (MSDC)’s meeting with the Ministers of the respective states over the new draft.