AP Govt contemplates setting up of Inland Water Transport Regulatory Authority

Amaravati: In the wake of a series of boat mishaps in the state, the government is contemplating to constitute a regulatory authority on water ways. Chief Secretary Dinesh Kumar said the government was considering constitution of Inland Water Transport Regulatory Authority (IWTRA) and asked the concern departments to formulate modalities for the authority.

At secretariat here on Friday, the Chief Secretary held a review meeting on boat mishaps and said the government was taking the boat mishap incidents seriously. The AP Ports Authority should give licenses only to the boats that have capacity of carrying above 10 MT of goods. In case of below 10 MT, the Water Resources department can issue licences to the boats as usual, he said.

He suggested that Water Resources, Ports, Police, Panchayat Raj and Tourism departments have to work in coordination to prevent such incidents. “The departments must take up frequent checks in the areas where there is possibility for boat accidents.

District collectors and SPs should be given directions in this regard. It can be made mandatory to make availability of life jackets to all passengers or tourists travelling in the boat and the licence for boat and the boat driver must be exhibited to the passengers in the boat,” he said.

The chief secretary also said the persons without any training should not be allowed as boat drivers. Principal Secretary to Water Resources department Shashibhushan Kumar, Director of Ports Koya Praveen, Special Chief Secretary of Revenue department Manmohan Singh and Principal Secretary to Energy department Ajay Jain participated.