Caption of Ports has clarified that the allegations made regarding the status of the Captain of Ports Department and the legality of the Terminal Building are factually incorrect and appear to arise from a misinterpretation of the provisions of the Indian Ports Act, 2025. It is stated that The Indian Ports Act, 2025 came into force with effect from 1st April 2026. Section 13(1) of Chapter IV of the Act expressly provides a period of six months from the date of commencement for the State Government to establish a State Maritime Board. Accordingly, the State Government has time up to 30th September 2026 to complete the process.
The Act further provides that where a State Maritime Board has not been constituted, the State Government may notify the existing department or body discharging port functions as the State Maritime Board. Therefore, the Captain of Ports Department continues to function lawfully and there is no legal vacuum as alleged.
The State Government has already initiated the process for establishment of the Goa Maritime Board. A draft Goa Maritime Board Bill has been prepared after detailed examination of the relevant Central legislations and is under active consideration of the Government. Simultaneously, a proposal has been submitted for notifying the Captain of Ports Department as the State Maritime Board in terms of Section 13(1) of the Indian Ports Act, 2025.
Consequently, the contention that the Captain of Ports Department has ceased to exist or lacks legal authority after 1st April 2026 is wholly unfounded and contrary to the express provisions of the law.
With regard to the Terminal Building, all requisite statutory clearances, including CRZ clearance, Goa State Pollution Control Board approvals, and water and sewage connection permissions, have been obtained. The structure has been constructed on piles within the jurisdiction of the Captain of Ports without any reclamation in the river area and constitutes a permissible port-related activity under the applicable CRZ regulations.
The Department has also obtained legal advice confirming that separate permissions from planning authorities are not required in the circumstances of the project.
It has also been alleged that the proposed inauguration of the Terminal Building by the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways was cancelled because the Goa Maritime Board had not been constituted. This allegation is entirely baseless, speculative and factually incorrect.
Captain of Ports clarified that the visit of the Union Minister could not materialise due to unavoidable official engagements that arose at the last moment, necessitating changes in the Minister’s schedule. The decision was purely administrative and unrelated to any issue concerning the constitution of the Goa Maritime Board or the functioning of the Captain of Ports Department.
The question of constitution of a State Maritime Board under the Indian Ports Act, 2025 and the scheduling of official visits of the Hon’ble Union Minister are two completely independent matters. Any attempt to link the postponement of the Minister’s visit with the status of the Goa Maritime Board is misleading and unsupported by facts.
The assertion that the Minister’s visit was cancelled on account of social media posts or public statements questioning the legality of the Captain of Ports Department or the Terminal Building is wholly unfounded. No such communication or reason has been conveyed by the Ministry, and the claim appears to be based entirely on conjecture.
The Department strongly refutes such misleading statements, which have the potential to create unnecessary confusion among the public regarding matters that are already clearly addressed under the provisions of the Indian Ports Act, 2025 and other applicable laws.
The Government remains committed to ensuring that all port-related infrastructure and administrative actions are undertaken strictly in accordance with the law and established procedures.
