Hyderabad: The state government on Wednesday
introduced the Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board Bill, 2010, for
constituting the Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board to provide for
rapid development of port sector and industrialisation in the
port areas.
Moving the Bill in the State Assembly, Minister for
Infrastructure, Investment and Ports Komatireddy Venkat Reddy
said every maritime state in the country was required to
constitute maritime boards in accordance with the National
Maritime Development Policy that proposed to create 520
million tonnes of additional cargo handling capacity in near
future.
"The waterfront in Andhra Pradesh offers tremendous scope
for development of minor ports which, besides stimulating the
export-oriented industries, creates large-scale employment and
enables industrialization in the hinterland," Venkat Reddy
said.
The proposed Maritime Board would be headed by the Chief
Minister as its ex-officio chairman while the minister in
charge for ports would be the ex-officio vice-chairman. The
Chief Executive Officer of the Board would also be its
ex-officio member-secretary.
A representative each of the Indian Navy, Coast Guard
nominated by the Government of India would be among its
members.
The state would like to take full advantage of its long
coastline by co-promoting with the Government of India and
private sector large-scale projects like Mega Petro-Chemical
Investment Region, ship-building and related industries, the
Minister added.
The state also proposed to increase substantially its
share of export and import trade and secure a leading position
in the international maritime map by modernizing existing
minor ports, developing new ports and facilitating development
of port-based industries and related world-class
infrastructure along the coastal corridor.
The Maritime Board was being constituted with the main
objective of initiating and developing plans and framing
guidelines for the port sector in the state and for promoting
use, development and improvement of minor ports in the state,
the Minister elaborated.
The government has also decided to provide security at
ports in accordance with the International Ship and Port
Facilities Security Code.
PTI
