Centre to introduce Indian Ports Bill, 2025 in Parliament today

NEW DELHI: Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, is set to introduce ‘The Indian Ports Bill, 2025’ in the Lok Sabha on Friday, according to the list of the business.

The bill aims to consolidate the law relating to ports, promote integrated port development, facilitate ease of doing business and ensure the optimum utilization of India’s coastline by establishing and empowering State Maritime Boards for effective management of ports other than major ports.

Also to establish the Maritime State Development Council for fostering structured growth development of the port sector; provide for the management of pollution, disaster, emergencies, security, safety, navigation, and data at ports; ensure compliance with India”s obligations under international instruments to which it is a party.

Apart from that union minister Sonowal is also set to move ‘The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2024’ for up for consideration and passing. The bill aims to provide for the responsibilities, liabilities, rights and immunities attached to carriers with respect to the carriage of goods by sea and for matters.

According to the list of business, ministers of states for Parliamentary Affairs, Health and Family Welfare, Defence and External Affairs will also lay papers for their respective ministries.

Various statements from the members of multiple standing committees on ‘Labour, Textiles, Skill development’, ‘Water Resources’, ‘education, women, children, youth and sports’ and committee on industry will be laid on the House today.

On the standing committee on Industry, Chandan Chauhan and Smita Uday Wagh will lay the 328 report on ‘Review of Performance of Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP).’

For committee on education, women, children, youth and sports, Varsha Gaikwad and Sumathy Alias Tamizhachi Thangapandian will lay the 365 report on Demands for Grants (2025-26) pertaining to the Women and Child Development ministry.

For water resources standing committee, Narayandas Ahirwar will lay the Final Action Taken Statements of the committee. For labour, textiles and development committee, Basavaraj Bomai with G M Harish Balayogi will the Four Statements showing further Action Taken by the Government on the Observations/Recommendations of the Committee. The committee members will also present other reports on demands for Grants (2025-26) for various related ministries.

Union Minister Manohar Lal is set to make a statement regarding the withdrawal made from Contingency Fund of India to meet out expenditure in emergent case of new scheme named Deendayal Jan Aajeevika Yojana (Shehari).

In the later part of the Lok Sabha session, the resolution moved by private members of the house is set to be discussed.

MP Shafi Prambil had moved a resolution on ‘Appropriate measures to regulate airfare in the country’. The resolution aims to “initiate appropriate measures to regulate the airfare in such a way that there is a reasonable upper limit on the maximum fare that an airline can fix in a specific route,” including establishing a quasi-judicial body to regulate and monitor air tariff.

E T Mohammed Basheer is set to move a resolution on ‘measures to address drug abuse in the country’, claiming that the issue has “reached alarming levels,” and threatens public health. Parshottambhai Rupala will move a resolution on ‘measures for establishment of Jan Kitnasak Kendras which aims to help farmers across the country by providing them with high quality pesticides at affordable prices. Kodikunnil Suresh will be moving a resolution on ‘Measures to ensure that delimitation process protects the democratic rights of all States.’

The delimitation process has been a point of contention, particularly in southern states, with the Dravida Munnetra Kazakham (DMK) MPs also protesting for a fair delimitation exercise earlier. (ANI)