The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Indian Ports Bill, 2025, amidst opposition sloganeering by a voice vote and without any discussion. The Bill aims to modernise and consolidate laws related to ports in India.
The bill, replacing the Indian Ports Act, 1908, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 28 and seeks to establish a more streamlined and efficient legal framework for port operations and management.
The bill also focuses on promoting integrated port development, facilitating ease of doing business, and ensuring optimal utilization of India’s coastline.
The draft law provides for regulating port operations and management, the levy of fees and tariffs, and environmental safeguards. It provides recognition to the Maritime State Development Council and State Maritime Boards. The Council will issue guidelines on tariff transparency and port data collection and submission. The State Maritime Boards administer non-major ports.
State governments must set up a Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) to adjudicate upon disputes between non-major ports, concessionaires, port users, and service providers.
The bill requires compliance with global maritime conventions—MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) and the Ballast Water Management Convention. It also requires ports to prepare pollution control and disaster management plans, which will be audited periodically by the central government.
The proposed law does not provide a mechanism for appeal against the levy of a penalty by the conservator.
Port officers, such as the conservator and the health officer, are granted powers of entry and inspection. However, the bill lacks safeguards against such powers.