Thiruvananthapuram, 14 Oct (H.S.): The Keralam government plans to restructure the Kerala Maritime Board, placing the Chief Minister at its helm and expanding its powers to accelerate port development and attract private investment under the ambitious Mission Samudra initiative.

A bill proposing amendments to the Kerala Maritime Board Act, 2017, is scheduled to be introduced in the Assembly on Wednesday. The changes seek to strengthen the board’s role in developing port infrastructure and remove legal hurdles affecting projects.

Under the proposed framework, a separate port development authority will be established under the board for each port. These authorities will oversee development activities, providing a dedicated mechanism to advance projects.

The board will also be authorised to buy and sell shares in companies registered under the Companies Act, including those controlled by the Union or state governments. This provision is intended to facilitate investment partnerships for port infrastructure development.

Another major proposal is the creation of a maritime land bank by pooling state-owned land associated with ports. Such land held by other government departments will be transferred to the board, making it available for development initiatives.

The amendments will also enable the board to make land available for public-private partnership projects. Currently, it can lease land for up to 30 years, but lacks an explicit legal provision permitting land to be handed over for PPP ventures.

The revised framework will additionally provide scope to extend lease periods for projects involving higher investment, offering greater flexibility in structuring development agreements.

The existing legal gap has stalled more than 20 port-based projects proposed by the board, even though their planning process has been completed.

By widening the board’s financial and land-management powers, the government aims to revive these projects and create a stronger institutional framework for implementing Mission Samudra and advancing the state’s port infrastructure development agenda.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman