- Introduction
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The Ports Wing is primarily responsible for the development of 12 Major Ports with the objective to provide necessary and adequate cargo handling capacity to meet India’s EXIM trade. The Ports in the country handle around 90% of EXIM Cargo by volume and 70% by value. In order to meet the ever increasing trade requirements, expansion of Port Capacity is accorded the highest priority. While increasing the capacity of the major ports, the Port Wing strives to improve the operational efficiencies through mechanization, digitization and process simplification. As a result over the years the installed capacity & cargo handled by the Major Ports have increased considerably. Besides the efficiency parameters like average turn around time, average output per ship berth day have also improved considerable.
- Major Ports & Non-Major Ports
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There are 12 major ports and 200 non-major ports (minor ports) in the country. While the Major Ports are under the administrative control of Ministry of Shipping, the non-major ports are under the jurisdiction of respective State Maritime Boards/ State Government. All the 12 Major ports are functional. Out of the 200 non-major ports, around 65 ports are handling cargo and the others are “Port Limits” where no cargo is handled and these are used by fishing vessels and by small ferries to carry passengers across the creeks etc
- Major Port Trusts:
- Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 and IPA Act, 1908
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All the 12 Major Ports are governed under the Major Port Trusts act, 1963. All the Non-Major Ports (minor ports) are governed under the IPA Act, 1908 which consists of 69 sections and two schedules and regulates the berths, stations, anchoring, fastening, mooring and unmooring of vessels. Besides, it fixes the rates to be paid in a port other than Major Port for use of such mooring belonging to the Government. It also regulates catamarans plying or hire and deals with regulating the use of fires and light within any such port
- Maritime State Development Council (MSDC)
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The MSDC was constituted in May, 1997 under the Chairmanship of the then Hon’ble Minister (SFT) with Minister in-charge of ports of all Maritime States/UTs, Secretary (SFT) and DA (Ports) as its Members and Joint Secretary (Ports) as Member-Secretary. Administrator, Union Territory of Daman & Diu was added as a Member in November, 1997. In march 2003 Director of Naval Operations, Naval Headquarters, New Delhi and Director (Operations), Coast Guard has been inducted as members in the MSDC. As per mandate of the Instruction of Maritime State Development council under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble Minister of Ports,Shipping and Waterways, the Council would meet at least once in six month
The MSDC meetings held earlier are as under in chronological order:-
MSDC Meeting
Place
Date
1st MSDC
Chennai
1-2nd August, 1997.
2nd MSDC
New Delhi
23rd June, 1999
3rd MSDC
Vishakhapatnam
1-2nd July, 2000
4th MSDC
Goa
19-20th October, 2001
5th MSDC
Goa
3-4th September, 2003
6th MSDC
Pondicherry
29-30th January, 2004
7th MSDC
Bhubaneswar
10th November, 2004
8th MSDC
Cochin
22nd December, 2006
9th MSDC
Goa
6-7th January, 2008
10th MSDC
Chennai
31st December, 2008
11th MSDC
New Delhi
12th November, 2009
12th MSDC
Chennai
31st August, 2010
13th MSDC
Hyderabad
13-14th June, 2011
14th MSDC
Mumbai
7-8th January, 2013
15th MSDC
Bangalore
16th November, 2013
16th MSDC
Goa
24th August 2015
17th MSDC
New Delhi
15th October, 2019
- Major Port Authority Bill, 2020
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There are 11 Major Port Trusts in the Country which are governed by the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963. A number of measures are being taken by the Government to augment capacity and improve the operational efficiency of Major Ports. However, under the restrictive ambit of the MPT Act, the Major Ports are finding it difficult to operate in a highly competitive environment and respond to market challenges. The Board of Trustees is very large and comprises of representatives of disparate interests including port users, labour, trade associations which makes decision making cumbersome, and, at times decisions are taken which are not fully based on commercial and economic interest. Even after delegating more powers and making some amendments to MPT Act, from time to time, the basic objective of offering efficient services to port users has not been achieved fully.
With a view to provide more autonomy and flexibility to Major Ports and to professionalize their governance, it was proposed in the year 2016 to amend the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 comprehensively. Since, the number of amendments was large, it was proposed to replace the existing MPT Act, 1963 with a new Act viz. ‘The Major Port Authorities Act, 2016’. The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 16.12.2016 but it could not be passed due to non-inclusion in the list of Business of Lok Sabha. On dissolution of 16th Lok Sabha, the Bill was lapsed.
The Major Port Authority Bill, 2020 has been introduced in the Lok Sabha on 12.03.2020. Listed in the Business of the House on 20.03.2020 and 23.03.2020 for discussion and consideration
- Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP)
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Establishment of TAMP
The Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP) was created in 1997. The regulatory jurisdiction of the Authority extends to all major port trusts and private terminals operating therein.
Role, Functions and Organizational Structure
The Authority is statutorily mandated to frame the Scale of Rates and Statement of Conditions for the services rendered by the Major Port Trusts and Private Terminals thereat as well as charges for use of port properties.
The Authority consists of a Chairman and two Members. The Chairman is of the rank of the Secretary to the Government of India, one Member from amongst economists and one Member with experience in finance. TAMP is functioning with Member (Finance) and Member (Economics) at present.
The Headquarter of Tariff Authority for Major Ports is located at Mumbai.
The sanctioned strength of officers and staff of the Authority is 36. As against that, the existing staff strength as on 01/04/2019 is 30 comprising of 08 Group A posts, 08 Group B posts, 09 Group C posts and 05 Group D post
Meetings of the Authority
The procedure to be followed in processing of tariff cases and conducting the meetings of this Authority is regulated by the Tariff Authority for Major Ports (Transaction of Business) Regulations, 1998.
The Authority follows the following guidelines issued by the Government of India for regulating tariff of Major Port Trusts and Private Terminals operating thereat.
Sr. No. Guidelines Date of Notification (i).
Upfront Tariff Guidelines, 2008
26/02/2008
(ii).
Reference Tariff Guidelines, 2013
30/09/2013
(iii).
Guidelines for Determination of Upfront Tariff for Stevedoring and Shore Handling Operations, 2016.
15/09/2016
(iv).
Berthing Policy for Dry Bulk Cargo for Major Ports, 2016.
MOS Letter dated 16 June 2016
(v).
(a). Policy for Determination of Tariff for Major Port Trusts, 2018
16/01/2019
(b).Working Guidelines to operationalize the Policy for Determination of Tariff for Major Port Trusts, 2018
(vi).
(a). Tariff Guidelines 2019
07/03/2019
(b). Working Guidelines to operationalize the Tariff Guidelines 2019
07/03/2019
5. The Authority since inception has disposed of 969 cases till 30 June 2019. The Orders passed by the Authority since 01/01/2001 are hosted in the TAMP website (http://tariffauthority.gov.in).
List showing mapping of Guidelines & attached documents
- Guidelines
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Guidelines for Establishing a floating Storage Re-gasification Unit (FSRU) at Major Ports
Guidelines for Treasury Investment Improvement
Policy for award of Waterfront and Associated Land to Port Dependent Industries in Major Ports
Revised MCA for PPP projects in Major Ports