As part of the Special Campaign for Disposal of Pending Matters (SCDPM) 2.0, all major ports under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways organised workshops with their PPP stakeholders to resolve pending grievances. The basic aim for organising these workshops was to resolve the maximum possible number of issues on the spot and chalk out a way forward with a clearly defined timeline for the remaining ones.
Among major ports, Paradip Port Authority organised a PPP Grievance Redressal Forum with its various stakeholders, in which representatives of concessionaire/captive berth operators participated. The Port management keenly listened to the various issues of the participants and resolved most of them.
Similarly, the Deendayal Port Authority, Kandla, organised a PPP Grievance Redressal Forum Workshop with its various stakeholders, including Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited, Kandla International Container Limited, and Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited.
The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority organised a ‘PPP grievance meeting’ for all terminal operators in accordance with Ministry guidelines. The meeting was presided over by the Chairman of JNPA, who provided an overview of the PPP model. Mormugao Port Authority organised the event as well, with terminal operators M/s. SWPL (JSW) and Adani Mormugao Port Terminal Limited being among those who took part.
As part of Special Campaign 2.0, the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) held a hybrid workshop on the ‘PPP Grievance Redressal Forum’ with stakeholders from existing PPP and captive terminals/berths. The meeting included all HODs and senior officers from the NMPA. The PPP grievances workshop redressal forum was attended by all stakeholders and concessionaires, and a variety of issues were discussed.
Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata held a PPP Grievances workshop for its stakeholders. Long-standing issues with TMILL were discussed with its representatives, and a consensus was reached. Among the participants, a representative from Century Ports Ltd. stated that they have yet to begin operations but are confident that they will meet the contract’s deadline. All of these redressal forum meetings are likely to resolve disagreements among various stakeholders and accelerate the pace of PPP project execution, resulting in better and more efficient port services.
It is worth noting that, in keeping with the overall spirit of the Special Campaign for the Disposal of Pending Matters 2.0 (SCDPM), the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Main Secretariat, all major ports, and other attached/subordinate offices undertook a special drive for swachatha and disposed-off pending matters during its implementation phase from October 2, to October 31, 2022. Ports also implemented several ‘Best Practices’ as part of Special Campaign 2.0, which included not only cleaning activities in and around the office premises, awareness workshops, digitization of files and records, sapling plantation, implementation of E-Cars, and so on, but also simplifying various rules and regulations.
