Setting up of the State Maritime Board will help Kerala’s shipping sector to become more competitive and attract private investments  Kerala could be the next Indian state to have its own maritime board after Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Gujarat. The state minister of ports V Surendran Pillai has said that a decision in this regard will soon be taken and the State Maritime Board will implement decisions and approvals for coastal security. After the terror attacks in Mumbai in November 2008, the need for coastal security has gained tremendous importance and considering the fact that Kerala has a coastline of around 590 km, setting up a State Maritime Board is the need of the hour.Other benefits of the maritime board
Meanwhile, the announcement has sent cheers among the shipping and logistics fraternity that believe a board of this kind will boost the maritime business of the state. According to Ashok Swamy, managing director of Volvo Logistics Service, a mid-sized logistics firm in Kollam, Kerala, “Setting up of the State Maritime Board will spur activities related to the maritime sector such as fishing and tourism. It will also help to develop port infrastructure, which will attract private investment in the sector as well as create employment opportunities, thereby benefiting the overall economy of the state.”
Apart from Cochin Port, which is the major port, the state of Kerala has 3 intermediate and 14 minor ports. Private investments in the intermediate and minor ports have been given a green signal in 1994. According to Abdul Sadiq, managing director of Rajab Logistics, a mid-sized logistics firm in Kozhikode, “The maritime board will help in tapping the potential of cruise shipping in the state, which boasts of breathtaking coastlines. The State Maritime Board will make Kerala’s shipping sector competitive.” Analysts also believe that considering the proximity of Kerala’s coasts to east-west shipping lines, it is important to step-up coastal security in the region.
Arup Choudhury |
