'Monopoly of pvt operators at major ports to be curbed'

The Shipping Ministry will finalise a policy to prevent monopoly of private operators at major ports in the next one month, Rajya Sabha was informed today.

Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, Shipping Minister G K Vasan said the new policy that seeks to prevent monopolies being created would go to Law Ministry for vetting once it is finalised by his ministry in a month.

The new policy includes bar on any private operator from bidding for next berth if it is the only operator of a berth handling a particular cargo.

Comments on the draft policy had been received from stakeholders and were under finalisation in shipping ministry.

 

Vasan said the policy would apply to only major ports and non-major ports which are under jurisdiction of state government would not come under its purview.

To a separate question, Vasan said the government was considering modification of shipbuilding subsidy scheme. In principle approval for shipbuilding subsidy for four vessels amounting to Rs 23.69 crore has been granted to Alcock Ashdown (Gujarat) Ltd.

Apart from this, requisite documents are awaited from AAGL for in principle approval for shipbuilding subsidy for another four vessels amounting to Rs 70 crore.

Vasan said a proposal to set up a dry dock at Cochin Shipyard at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore was under consideration.

During 6th and 7th Five Year Plan periods (2002-07 and 2007-12), Rs 644.04 crore has been released under the shipbuilding subsidy scheme to public sector shipyards. Rs 47.69 crore subsidy was given to private shipyards and Rs 12.98 crore to Gujarat government shipyard, he said.