The central government, which is looking for ways to make inland waterways attractive for private parties, is unlikely to have a standard contract or a model concession agreement for inland waterway terminals, according to a senior official.
The government will continue to be flexible with its approach, amid little interest shown by private operators to become cargo handlers on India’s river ports.
“When a sector is nascent, freezing standards into a concession agreement puts constraints on the authority’s ability to be flexible and adapt based on the concessionaire’s requirements and a mutually beneficial market arrangement,” the official said.
In October,