New Delhi: The National Waterways Bill of 2015 is cleared from Rajya Sabha Yesterday, i.e. 9th day of March. Nitin Gadkari- The Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister commented that the Bill was brought with the aim to unleash the navigation potential of larger river ways resources of India.
It was also notable that the present Bill was introduced in the Lock Sabha by the said Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister- Nitin Gadkari and in the ending months of the last year, this Bill has been cleared from Lok Sabha. Now, it is confirm that the present Bill would really allow to boost a movement of goods and passengers via rivers and will also expectedly reduce the transportation costs substantially.
Under entry 24 of the Union List of Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, the present concerned Bill was preferred, as the union govt. is empowered thereunder to make laws on shipping and navigation on inland waterways which are classified as National Waterways. Moreover, in the present Bill, the provisions for identifying an additional 101 waterways as national waterways can also be seen and it will also specify the extent of development to be undertaken on each waterway.
Also, the Minister Gadkari in its favour to this Bill stated that the by declaring the National Waterways, the rights of the State Govt. in any way will not be restricted and also, the Government of India only will be facilitated in developing the waterway for shipping and navigation. As such, the Minister- Gadkari said the move is not to infringe the rights of states on minerals and water, etc.
And while justifying his move, the Minister- Gadkari shown the examples from China and other countries, where the trade is being done through the waterways, like in China it is around 47 per cent, in Europe- 40 per cent, in Bangladesh- 35 per cent and in Japan and Korea 44 per cents of trade is being done through waterways and in India only 3.5 per cent. Thus, he regretted to this effect.
Now, after clearing this Bill, the Rajya Sabha is now schedules to take up the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill on coming Thursday.
Read the Bill here
Adv. Faim Khalilkhan Pathan