Panaji: In a major administrative restructuring aimed at modernising its maritime governance, Goa govt has designated the captain of ports (CoP) to function as the Goa Maritime Board.The decision operationalises the provisions of the newly enacted central Indian Ports Act, 2025. Under the same directive, govt has appointed the captain of ports as the conservator for all minor ports within Goa. Both appointments have come into effect immediately upon their publication.The transition from a legacy departmental system to a dedicated state maritime board marks a turning point for Goa. The change is mandated by the central govt’s Indian Ports Act, 2025, which replaces the colonial-era Indian Ports Act of 1908.This central legislation requires all coastal states to modernise and align their local port administration structures with updated national governance standards.The transition to a maritime board is expected to grant the department enhanced statutory powers and greater structural autonomy. This will allow the newly formed board to oversee safety, navigation, and infrastructure development across Goa’s extensive network of inland waterways and minor ports.The push for a dedicated maritime board in Goa is not new. For years, shipping professionals, shipbuilders, industry experts, and political leaders have voiced a strong demand for a specialised institutional framework. Proponents, including Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas and former bureaucrat Elvish Gomes, have long argued that a fully functional maritime board is crucial to strengthening Goa’s maritime sector.The private sector has also said that the maritime board will help in attracting fresh investments, and creating employment opportunities across the logistics, tourism, and shipbuilding industries.The administrative transition follows closely on the heels of major physical upgrades. Earlier this month, a new Rs 48.8-crore captain of ports terminal building was inaugurated on the Mandovi riverfront in Panaji by Union minister for ports, shipping and waterways Sarbananda Sonowal and Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant. The three-storey facility is designed to serve as a modern operational hub for the maritime boardInterestingly, the rollout of the maritime board framework gained rapid momentum following bureaucratic friction regarding this very building. Former captain of ports Elvis Gomes had publicly pointed out that naming and launching the new terminal under the old departmental nomenclature rather than the state maritime board was legally inconsistent.With the board notified, the state is moving quickly to draft the statutory rules that will guide the board’s operations.
