Lack of Maritime Board hits development of state

KOCHI: More than a year since the legislation to set up the Kerala State Maritime Board was cleared by the Cabinet, it is nowhere in sight. The board is seen as the key to the development of minor ports, coordination among different bodies involved in water transport, coastal security and channelising Central aid.Most of the coastal states in the country have their own maritime boards. Some of them are more than 15 years old. The Centre has been repeatedly asking coastal states to set up maritime boards so that they can utilise  Central funds for developing new ports. “The states with maritime boards have been performing better in developing their ports. In states which do not have the board, the development of ports is delayed by procedural bottlenecks and lack of coordination among the agencies concerned,” said the former executive member of Kerala Maritime University and former chairman of the Marmagoa Port Trust, Jose Paul.Maritime boards are central to the utilisation of funds allotted to minor ports. The minor ports, unlike the major ones, come under the direct control of the state governments. But today, more than 30 per cent of the total cargo passing through the Indian ports is being handled by minor ports. Keeping this in mind, the Central Government has been allocating separate funds for minor ports in the Budget. “Since the maritime board is managed by professionals, the states will be better equipped to present credible project reports. This is one of the reasons why they have been able to attract more funds and develop their minor ports,” he said.The previous LDF ministry had cleared the bill to set up the board in September 2010. The bill prepared by the Law Department aimed to merge the Kerala Port Department’s  Hydrographic Survey Wing and Maritime Development Corporation to form the Maritime Board. “We have been conducting several rounds of talks with various unions and agencies concerned. The proceedings are progressing. But unless we reach a common point, it will not be possible to go forward”, said Ports Minister K Babu.