Cabinet approves replacement of Major Port Trusts Act

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the proposal to replace the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 by the Major Port Authorities Bill, 2016, which will help in empowering major ports.

It approved the proposal of Ministry of Shipping to replace the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963.

"This will empower the major ports to perform with greater efficiency on account of full autonomy in decision making and by modernising the institutional structure of major ports," said a cabinet communique.

"With a view to promote the expansion of port infrastructure and facilitate trade and commerce, the proposed bill aims at decentralising decision making and to infuse professionalism in governance of ports," it added.

The new Major Ports Authority Bill, 2016 would help to impart faster and transparent decision making benefiting the stakeholders and better project execution capability, it also said.

The statement further said: "The Bill is aimed at reorienting the governance model in central ports to landlord port model in line with the successful global practice. This will also help in bringing transparency in operations of major ports."

--IANS

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