(1) The Board shall, in consultation with, and with the approval of, the State Government, fix the scale of rates at which, and the terms and conditions under which, any of the services in, or in relation to, any minor port or port approaches shall be made available by the Board to users, except the services in respect of vessels for which fees are chargeable 15 of 1908. under the Indian Ports Act, 1908.
(2) Different scales of rates and different conditions may be fixed for different classes of goods, services, and vessels and for different ports.
(3) The Board may also fix the scale of rates at which, and the conditions under which, any property or place within the limits of a port or port approaches may be used for the purposes of—
(a) approaching, or lying at or alongside, any buoy, mooring, wharf, quay, pier, dock, land, building, or place by vessels, or
(b) entering upon, or plying for hire at, any wharf, quay, dock, land, building, road, bridge, approach, or place by animals or vehicles or vessels carrying passengers or goods, or
(c) leasing of land or sheds or berths or godowns by owners of goods imported or intended for export, or
(d) any other use of any land, buil ding,works, vessels or appliances within the limits of the port.
(4) Where a minor port is owned, operated and managed by a private, public or joint sector undertaking, the view of such undertaking shall be obtained by the Board in fixing or revising the port charges and the terms and conditions of port services before seeking approval of the State Government.
(5) The Board may, if it thinks necessary and expedient so to do, fix, with the approval of the State Government, a consolidated scale of rates for any combination of services provided in the port or for services and users mentioned in this section.
22. In fixing the scales of rates under the provisions of this chapter, the Board may prescribed a lower rate in respect of—
(i) coastal goods, that is to say, goods other than imported goods 52 of 1962. as defined in the Customs Act, 1962, carried in a vessel from one Indian port to another Indian port:
Provided that there shall be no discrimination between Indian ports in prescribing a lower rate under this section;
(ii) other goods in special cases.
Imposition and recovery of rates at minor ports.
Power of Board to prescribe lower rate.
307 The West Bengal Maritime Board Act, 2000.
Rates etc. to be published by Board.
Exemption of Central Government or State Government from payment of rates and charges for the use of ports or works or services, etc.
Exemption of goods and vessels from payment of rates and charges.
Power of Board to make regulations.
Settlement of dispute regarding rates.
[West Ben. Act (Chapter IV.—Establishment of minor ports and works and services to be provided at minor ports, and functions of Board—Sections 23-27.)
23. Every scale of rates and every statement of conditions fixed by the Board under the provisions of this chapter shall be published by the Board in the official Gazette after it receives the sanction of the State Government and shall have effect after such publication.