The Hindu Business Line : Land policy for major port trusts soon

A COMPREHENSIVE land policy for major port trusts will be finalised shortly, most probably within a month or so. Giving this information here on Monday, Mr D.T. Joseph, Shipping Secretary, said the policy, once firmed and announced, would help the major port trusts develop their land assets properly.

"The Ministry has decided that the earnings from any port land developed for commercial purpose either by the State Government or by the private developers have to be shared equally between the developer and port trust concerned," he said.

Mr Joseph felt that left to themselves the port trusts alone could not always develop the lands on their own as various State Government agencies, environment protection authorities and others would have to be involved in it. In many cases, the present tenancy laws, which would prevent the port trust to have fair return on their assets, might have to be amended. Some State Governments, he said, were inflexible in regard to the implementation of relevant regulation, he said.

The Shipping Secretary felt that the market rate concept might not always work, saying, "people's demands and rights too have to be kept in mind". The land on the waterfront should be left for beautification and protection of heritage while the commercial development should be undertaken away from the waterfront.

Earlier, Mr Shatrughan Sinha, Shipping Minister, announced that Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) would bear the cost of the development and modernisation of the two ghats, the Nimtolla Burning Ghat, and Sarada Mother's Ghat (named after the wife of Sri Ramakrishna), on the bank of the Hooghly river.

He felt that State Governments and other organisations like the Tourism Department and the Environment & Forest Department too should come forward to develop lands. "Today being the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, I have great pleasure to make this announcement," the Minister said.

Dr A.K. Chanda, Chairman of KoPT, said there were 41 ghats of which only 15 belonged to the port authorities. According to a tentative estimate, the development of the Sarada Mother's Ghat would cost around Rs 50 lakh while the cost estimate of the development of the other ghat was yet to be finalised.

Asked if the Shipping Ministry would work out a comprehensive policy with regard to development of heritage projects also in other ports, Mr Joseph replied, no other port, except Mumbai port, had this kind of heritage. "In Mumbai port, there is no river like the Hooghly river in Kolkata but there are some heritage buildings under it and these buildings could be renovated and protected," he said, adding that "the Government is yet to take a firm view on this." He, however, made it clear that the country did not need the expertise of the foreign agencies in this regard. "I understand the Thames River Authority is involved in the beautification of the Hooghly river waterfront but we have nothing to learn from them as our heritage is much more precious," he observed.

The Shipping Minister indicated that the development of National Sea Waterways, i.e, the approach channel in every port, and of inland water transport and coastal shipping will constitute the massive Sagarmala project.