Bill for expanding eligibility criteria for ownership of merchant vessels introduced in Lok Sabha

New Delhi [India], December 10 (ANI): A bill that provides for expanding the eligibility criteria for ownership of the vessels and increasing tonnage under the Indian flag was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024, was introduced by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal.
It provides for the constitution of a body to be notified by the Central Government which would be responsible for conducting regulatory and oversight functions relating to security of vessels and port facilities.
The statement of objects and reasons of the bill says that it has become imperative to repeal the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, and to provide for "contemporaneous, futuristic and dynamic legislation" to meet the requirements of India as an emerging economy.
The bill provides for registration of a foreign vessel chartered on a bareboat charter-cum-demise contract by an Indian charterer in order to expand opportunities for international trade and increasing Indian tonnage and temporary registration of vessels seeking to be recycled in India and granting provisional certificate of registration to an Indian vessel.
It provides for supervising and monitoring the maritime education and training leading to grant of certificate of competency or certificate of proficiency to facilitate Indian seafarers to work onboard vessels and adopting the Maritime Labour Convention regulations.
The bill provides for enforcement of pollution prevention standards, including measures for containment of pollution and reporting of incidents threatening to cause pollution of air, marine environment, any part of coasts or coastal waters;
It empowers the Central Government to take charge and detain vessels within India or in coastal waters, as a vessel without nationality, if such vessel is not legally entitled to fly the flag of a State or has lost such right.
It also empowers the Central Government to pass directions to port authorities or State Maritime Board or any other authority or agency, to render assistance in respect of abandoned vessels, which are abandoned on or near the coast of India or within the coastal waters;
The bill empowers the principal officer to take action against vessels that are unsafe, which pose a risk to safety of life or environment and empowers the Central Government to take charge and detain vessels within India or in coastal waters, as a vessel without nationality, if such vessel is not legally entitled to fly the flag of a State or has lost such right. (ANI)