“In the second meeting for the Draft Minor Ports Bill, 2021, all the coastal states except Gujarat have opposed the Draft Bill. The Bill seeks to reduce the powers of the state government in operating and maintaining minor ports,” said the Minister in Chennai. Recently, the Union government introduced the Draft Minor Ports Bill, 2021, proposing to strengthen the Maritime State Development Council (MSDC) for better maintenance of minor ports in the country. But, state governments, including Tamil Nadu, have raised strong objection to the Bill claiming that it will take away the rights of the state government in handling minor ports. Even Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote a letter to Chief Ministers of coastal states to oppose the Draft Bill.
