Cabinet gives nod to Major Ports Authority Bill to replace existing law

The Cabinet has given its nod to Major Ports Authority Bill that will replace a 1963 law governing country's 12 major ports, Union Minister Mansukh Lal Mandaviya said on Wednesday.

The approval was accorded at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"At present the ports are governed by a ports law of 1963. The Cabinet today has approved the Major Ports Authority Bill that will be introduced in Parliament and replace the existing law," Shipping Minister Mandaviya said.

He said the proposed law is aimed at enhancing the overall efficiencies of the ports.

India has 12 major ports -- Deendayal (erstwhile Kandla), Mumbai, JNPT, Marmugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Kamarajar (earlier Ennore), V O Chidambarnar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia).

These together had handled 699.04 million tonnes (MT) of cargo during 2018-19.