Hope 2 new bills get Parl nod in Winter Session: Shipping secy

The Shipping Ministry is hopeful that at least two bills, which seek to usher in structural reforms in the sector, will be cleared during the Winter Session of Parliament beginning November 18.

"We hope the new bills on ship recycling and major ports will be cleared in the forthcoming Winter Session... These would offer policy boost for the shipping sector," Union Shipping Secretary Gopal Krishna told PTI.

He was in the city to flag off the first-ever container cargo movement from Haldia to Assam through National Waterways-2 via the Indo-Bangladesh protocol route.

The bill on ship recycling has been forwarded to the Cabinet for approval, he said.

It will be in tune with global standards of environmentally-sound ship recycling. The move is likely to help India double its ship-recycling capacity over the next five years, officials said.

The country accounts for 25 per cent of the global ship breaking and recycling activity.

The second bill, which has already received Cabinet nod, seeks to provide more autonomy to the ports. The 12 major ports in the country are at present run as "trusts".

Trade unions, however, have termed the bill as a step towards privatisation of the ports.