BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to enlist support against the proposed bill on ports of the Centre, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday wrote to chief ministers and lieutenant governors of nine coastal states and Union territories urging them to oppose its provisions which will encroach upon the authority of the states. Stating that it would infringe on the authority of the states over the ports, Naveen alleged that the bill will hamper the port development work planned by the states on their respective coasts. Centre has proposed to bring the bill to replace the Indian Ports Act, 1908 and Major Port Trust Act, 1963, he said. Naveen said as per the provisions of the new bill, the states cannot determine the boundary of the ports developed by them without permission from the Centre. The new bill does not have the provision for the Centre to either consult the states or take their consent while fixing the boundaries of the ports. Rejecting the provision of appointing an arbitrator to resolve any dispute over the limits of ports, he demanded that either courts or any independent body examine the dispute instead of any Centrally-appointed arbitrator. As per the Indian Ports Act, 1908, while the Centre used to fix the boundary of the major ports, the states were empowered to draw the boundaries of minor ports. Opposing several other provisions in the proposed Indian Port Bill, 2011, Naveen urged the chief ministers to jointly protest the Bill. Naveen wrote to chiefs ministers of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry and the Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar saying the Bill would encroach on the rights of the states in terms of port management and functioning. As the states would lose their rights, it is time voice was raised against the proposed Bill, Naveen said.
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