The Goa government has ordered a nationwide study of maritime laws to help complete the statutory framework for the newly notified Goa Maritime Board and align the state’s port regulations with the Indian Ports Act, 2025.
Captain of Ports Octavio Rodrigues has deputed Deputy Captain of Ports Premlal Sirsaiker to visit India’s coastal states and consult officials of their maritime boards. Sirsaiker has been asked to examine the statutory rules, regulations and legal instruments adopted by other states under the central legislation, along with provisions in their respective maritime board Acts.
The review follows a letter from Sirsaiker to the state government raising concerns about “incomplete statutory measures” after the Goa Maritime Board was notified. The state intends to identify provisions from other maritime frameworks that could be incorporated into Goa’s own rules.
Sirsaiker will also review the port rules framed and implemented by other maritime states under the Indian Ports Act, 2025. He has been directed to prepare draft recommendations and submit a comprehensive report by December 15.
In his note, Rodrigues said the report must identify the statutory provisions required to be incorporated into the Goa Maritime Board Rules and the Goa Port Rules, 2025. The stated objective is to ensure that Goa’s rules conform to the Indian Ports Act, 2025 and align with the legal frameworks used by other states through their maritime boards and state port rules.
The exercise comes after the Captain of Ports was designated as the Goa Maritime Board in July. The designation was intended to provide greater institutional autonomy to the state’s minor ports, but the government’s decision to commission a comparative legal review indicates that the framework for exercising those powers still requires further statutory detailing.
For port administration, the review will determine which legal provisions are needed to govern the board’s functioning and Goa’s port rules under the new central legislation. It also places the state’s maritime administration within a wider comparison of how coastal states have structured their port authorities and regulations.
The assignment covers consultations with officials in all maritime states, as well as the preparation of draft recommendations for Goa. The report due on December 15 is expected to set out the consequential statutory changes required for the Goa Maritime Board Rules and the Goa Port Rules, 2025.
