Representational picture of a container ship docked at a port in Vallarpadam in Kochi, Kerala
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Parliament winter session
A Bill that seeks to advertise coastal commerce and encourage the participation of Indian-flagged vessels owned and operated by Indian residents for nationwide safety and business wants was launched within the Lok Sabha on Monday (December 2, 2024).
Union Ports, Shipping and Waterways minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched the Bill amid noisy protests by opposition members over the latest violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal and the Adani challenge.
The Bill seeks prohibition of commerce within the coastal water with out licence by vessels aside from Indian vessels and allowing Inland vessels to have interaction in coastal buying and selling topic to sure situations.
It additionally seeks to empower the Director-General to challenge licence after bearing in mind sure elements together with citizenship of the crew and constructing necessities of the vessel in order to create main jobs for India seafarers and to advertise ship constructing in India.
The Bill seeks to create a National Database of coastal transport in order to make sure transparency of procedures and help in data sharing.
It supplies preparation of a National Coastal and Inland Shipping Strategic Plan for growth, development and promotion of coastal transport.
According to the Bill, no licence granted shall be suspended, revoked or modified, except the licence has been given an inexpensive alternative of being heard.
Potential of coastal transport
Coastal transport in India holds nice potential owing to huge shoreline of round 7,500 km and proximity to vital international transport routes. It has been recognised that maritime transportation, significantly coastal transport is cheaper in comparison with different modes of transportation.
The regulation of the coastal maritime sector in India lacks uniformity. Non-mechanised vessels engaged in coastwise commerce are ruled by the Coasting Vessel Act, 1838 which solely supplies for registration of such vessels.
The mechanised vessels alternatively fall underneath the purview of Merchant Shipping Act, 1958.
Sandhya Ray, who was chairing the proceedings, requested Congress members Manish Tewari and Gaurav Gogoi to talk however they refused, saying that the House was not so as.
Opposition members are allowed to talk on Bills in the event that they want to oppose it on the introduction stage itself.
The Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024, was later launched following a voice vote amid the din.
The Bill is among the many 5 new measures deliberate for introduction by the federal government within the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.
Published – December 02, 2024 04:15 pm IST
Content Source: www.thehindu.com