NEW DELHI: The shipping ministry will be renamed as the ministry of ports, shipping and waterways. PM Modi made this announcement on Sunday while inaugurating the Ro-Pax terminal at Hazira and flagging off the Ro-Pax ferry service.
“In most of the developed economies, the shipping ministry has the responsibility of ports and waterways. In India, the shipping ministry has been carrying out the tasks of ports and waterways. Now with greater clarity in the name, there will be more clarity on the works carried out by the ministry,” Modi said.
Sources said there has been confusion for years on who is responsible for waterways, though the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is the statutory authority for the notified national waterways, which include rivers, canals and creeks. “For example, there was some confusion whether the shipping ministry needed to get the go ahead from the water resources and Ganga rejuvenation ministry (currently known as Jal Shakti ministry) despite the river being notified as National Waterway-1. The renaming of the ministry will end all confusion,” said an official.