New Delhi, April 10 Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal reviewed port operations on Friday and directed the Directorate General of Shipping to ensure complete transparency in shipping-related charges, saying this ongoing crisis in West Asia must not become an opportunity for profiteering.
According to an official statement, Sonowal said that timely intervention by the government cleared 90 per cent of the cargo backlog amid disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz.
In a strong message to the sector, the minister instructed the Directorate General of Shipping to ensure complete transparency in shipping-related charges.
"This crisis must not become an opportunity for profiteering. All charges must be clearly documented and monitored to protect trade interests," Sonowal said.
He said that swift government action restored port operations, minimized trade disruption. Chairing a high-level review meeting with senior officials and port authorities, the minister noted that the evolving situation in West Asia had initially disrupted cargo movement and vessel traffic, but coordinated and proactive measures ensured rapid stabilization of port operations with minimal impact on trade.
"We acted swiftly and in a coordinated manner to address emerging challenges. Continuous monitoring and timely intervention have helped us regularize port operations and clear the backlog efficiently, ensuring that India's trade remains resilient," the statement said, quoting Sonowal.
The minister reviewed port-wise operational status and expressed satisfaction over the significant improvement, acknowledging the efforts of port employees and authorities in preventing congestion during a critical time.
The minister directed all port authorities to ensure that financial relief measures announced by the ministry, including waivers on ground rent and concessions on reefer charges, are passed on directly to stakeholders without delay or procedural bottlenecks.
The review also covered the functioning of grievance redressal mechanisms at ports, with Sonowal directing officials to strengthen systems to ensure swift resolution of stakeholder concerns during such disruptions.
Officials said that major ports, including Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Deendayal Port Authority, New Mangalore Port Authority, and Mumbai Port, have largely cleared cargo which got stranded because of war-related disruptions in shipping.
The statement said that innovative operational measures, enhanced yard capacity and coordinated logistics planning played a crucial role in addressing the backlog.
The US and Israel's attacks on Iran, and Tehran's sweeping retaliation have largely halted shipping through the strait — a narrow shipping lane that is the conduit for oil and gas exports from Gulf countries to the world. Iran has, however, stated that "non-hostile vessels" may transit the waterway after coordinating with Iranian authorities.