Alongside the fears of allies that the Major Ports Authority Bill, 2020 aims at privatization of the country's top 12 major ports, the Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said it seeks to provide autonomy to these ports and boost their decision-making powers in order to compete with private ports.
The Major Ports Authority Bill, 2020 was passed through ballot votes in the Rajya Sabha on with 84 votes in its favour and 44 against it. The Lok Sabha had passed the bill on September 23 last year.
Taking a strong objection to some members' remarks that it is intended to benefit big corporate houses and would result in the ruining of the ports and their plunder, Mandaviya, in his reply to the debate on the bill, said rather, it would turn these ports into world-class ports and enable their boards to take decisions on their own.
Various opposition parties, including the Congress, TMC, SP, RJD, DMK, AAP, CPI(M) and CPI raised objections on the bill in the Upper House of Parliament and alleged that it is aimed at privatising the ports and diluting the powers of the states on land use. However, the BJD, JD(U), YSRCP supported it, saying it is a welcome move to expand the port development infrastructure.
The minister supported the government move, led by Prime Minister Modi, believes in the federal structure and assured the Upper House that "state government representatives will not be removed".
The minister said: "We developed the Kolkata port on the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. We paid the liabilities for all pensioners. The loss-making ports are now profitable. This is because of the reforms.”
He said disputes with private companies and PPP operators are cropping up, but the existing law has no provisions to deal with such issues and the new law will also help improve infrastructure.
Assuring the House to protect the interests of labourers, he said earlier, in the name of labourers, such people were made trustees who had nothing to do with labourers.
The bill was passed through ballot votes after Deputy Chairman Harivansh ordered the lobbies to be cleared for a division vote.