ENGLISH SHORTHAND DICTATION-423

Hon. Chairman Sir, I thank you for allowing me to speak on the Coastal Shipping Bill. I come from the State of Tamil Nadu. I would like to tell you that Tamil kings ruled the world even before 1000 years. They ruled an extensive area including ports by operating ships to countries like Vietnam, Cambodia and China. Tamils were known for management of ports. They excelled in this field. There were more than 20 ports which were operating in Tamil Nadu successfully. Trade activities were successfully taking place through these ports. Today, only two or three ports are fully functional¹⁰⁰ in Tamil Nadu. Rest of the ports are lying unused. This Government has closed the natural ports and it is¹²⁰ opening the artificially created ports. This Government has allocated Rs.5000 crore to Gujarat. You are also developing a port near Maharashtra after allocating sufficient funds. But the ports of Tamil Nadu remain closed. We have a doubt whether our hon. Minister is a Minister for our country or only for the State of Gujarat.

The coastal area of Tamil Nadu should be developed, as ports were operating from these coastal places during olden days. These ports should be developed in²⁰⁰ such a way that it would result in better trade and cultural ties with several other countries of the world. But privatization of all these ports by this Government is a matter of concern. Every port is being given to²⁴⁰ Adani. This should be stopped. Our seas should be protected. We should protect the lives of fishermen who thereby protect the seas. Tamil Nadu fishermen are time and again arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy which confiscates their boats. We have been raising this issue in this House. We have met the hon. Minister of External Affairs and requested him³⁰⁰ to resolve this issue. Our hon. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has been raising this issue with the Minister of External Affairs and the Prime Minister. But the issue of arrest of Indian fishermen is not yet resolved. Their boats are confiscated. The Sri Lankan Government takes these boats of Indian fishermen and puts them to auction. No relief is³⁶⁰ given to the affected Indian fishermen. For each boat seized by the Sri Lankan Government, our Tamil Nadu Government has provided Rs. 6 lakh as assistance to the affected fishermen. Now this relief amount has been increased to Rs.8 lakh.⁴⁰⁰ But the Union Government does not pay even a single rupee. This Union Government does not stop our Indian fishermen from being arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy. The Sri Lankan Government levies lakhs and crores of rupees as fine for releasing the fishermen and their boats. The fine is increased by them now and then. I would like to ask why this Government is unable to control the Sri Lankan Government in such matters. When there was an economic⁴⁸⁰ crisis in Sri Lanka, the Indian Government helped Sri Lanka in a big way on humanitarian grounds. We welcome all⁵⁰⁰ these measures. At the same time, is it not the duty of our Government to ensure safe fishing rights for our fishermen?

This Government should take adequate steps for safety of our fishermen engaged in fishing in the Lakshadweep area. Their arrest should also be prevented by this Union Government. We have been urging upon this issue for so long. Fishermen protect our seas. Management of ports and schemes thereon can be implemented only through the cooperation of fishermen. Only with their help, you can streamline the transportation across seas. We should protect our fishermen in order to protect our⁶⁰⁰ seas. When Gujarat fishermen are arrested by the Pakistan Navy, this Union Government promptly swings into action immediately. When our Tamil fishermen are arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy, you do not act swiftly.  I urge that urgent and immediate action is warranted. Security of Tamil fishermen should be ensured. There should be talks between the representatives of fishermen communities of both the countries and a permanent solution should be arrived. In many countries, the fishermen of neighbouring countries engage in fishing peacefully. But the issue between Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen is still not resolved. I urge upon the⁷⁰⁰ Union Government to focus on this issue and find a permanent solution.

Hon. Chairman, Sir, I rise to speak on⁷²⁰ this significant Coastal Shipping Bill which, this Government claims, will promote coastal trade and increase domestic participation. Despite being a country with about 7,500 kilometres of coastline, 14,500 kilometres of inland waterways and being located near major international shipping lanes, we have not utilized our waterways to our full potential. Maritime transportation, particularly coastal shipping, is widely recognized as a more cost-effective alternative to other modes of transport. So, when this Bill was introduced, we hoped that this Bill would⁸⁰⁰ facilitate coastal shipping and promote employment opportunities for our people, but this Bill has not only failed to address the crucial issues, it has also made it worse.

As per Section 345, the Director General has been given considerable discretionary⁸⁴⁰ powers in assessing applications and imposing additional conditions. While flexibility is necessary, excessive discretion without clear guidelines could lead to inconsistent or biased decision-making. The Director General is given broad discretionary powers to suspend, revoke or modify licences. While such powers are necessary for regulation, there are concerns about the lack of checks and balances. If misused, this could lead⁹⁰⁰ to arbitrary action without sufficient oversight. The criteria for suspension, revocation or modification of licenses are broad, including violations of any conditions of licences or failure to comply with any applicable law. This could be seen as overly vague, leading to uncertainty and potential misuse. This section does not clearly mention about any appealing process or mechanism for challenging the⁹⁶⁰ suspension, revocation or modification or a license. This could leave licensees without an effective way to contest decisions which are unfair or unjustified. The term ‘reasonable opportunity to be heard’ could be interpreted differently, leading to arbitrary application of the¹⁰⁰⁰ law. A more different process could ensure fairness and clarity without giving undue power to the Director General of

Shipping.

As per Section 8 of this Bill, the Union Government must publish a National Coastal and Inland Shipping Strategic Plan within two years of commencement of the Act and update it every two years. The plan will include assessment of coastal shipping routes, operational improvements, long-term traffic forecasts, best practices, new routes, promotion of Indian vessels, and other necessary matters.¹⁰⁸⁰ A Committee will be formed to draft the plan, including members from various relevant agencies, such as the Director-General of¹¹⁰⁰ Shipping, Inland Waterways Authority, major ports, State maritime boards, ship owners, and maritime experts. The problem with this section is that the Strategic Plan is mandated to be drafted and updated every two years, but who is responsible for its execution? There is no mention of performance monitoring to ensure that improvements are implemented. The Committee is only responsible for drafting, not ensuring implementation. The Committee consists mostly of Government representatives and some industry players. Key stakeholders like cargo owners, logistics, and coastal community are missing.¹¹⁸⁶