Major Ports Authority Bill introduced in LS

A bill which seeks to provide autonomy to India's top 12 major ports and improve their efficiency and competitiveness was introduced in Lok Sabha on Thursday amid objections by opposition parties who wanted the government to redraft the legislation to remove ambiguity. Introducing the Major Ports Authority Bill, Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the idea is not to privatise major ports but to give them more powers to take decisions in a competitive market.

Shashi Tharoor (Cong) and Saugata Roy (TMC) opposed the bill at the introduction stage, saying the government should go back to the drafting table to bring in more clarity. Responding to the concerns, the minister said the number of labour trustees remains the same as earlier.

The bill proposes to repeal the Major Port Trusts Act 1963. The bill was later introduced by a voice vote..