The Hindu Business Line : Proposal to constitute cell to help shippers

THE Shipping Ministry has before it a proposal to constitute a cell to provide day-to-day assistance to shippers. The cell will look into various problems facing the shippers and try to redress their grievances.

This was indicated by the Secretary to the Ministry at a meeting with the representatives of the regional shippers' association in New Delhi.

The proposed cell would be headed by the Director (Mercantile Marine) and would comprise two officials of the rank of Under Secretary, each from shipping and ports wings of the Ministry.

During the meeting, the shippers' representatives had suggested formation of a high-powered body on the line of the Federal Maritime Commission of the US with legal powers vested with it to take action against the shipping lines and their agents found violating the rules. The Shipping Secretary asked the shippers' associations to come out with concrete proposals in this regard and suggested that till a legal entity came into force, the constitution of a cell under the Ministry could be considered. The Secretary also directed the Joint Secretary (Ports) in the Ministry to issue instructions to various port trusts to hold meetings with respective regional shippers' associations at a regular interval to discuss various problems facing the shippers of the region.

Referring to marine insurance, specifically cargo and liability insurance, the Secretary informed the shippers' representatives of the expert group already formed to look into various aspects of marine insurance. The associations were advised to submit their views on the relevant issues to the Director (Mercantile Marine) in the Ministry.

The four regional associations should have an apex body at the national level to function as a forum for consultation and liaison, it was felt.

The meeting was held by the Shipping Secretary to examine how to establish a closer coordination among various ports, the Directorate General of Shipping and the Shippers. A common complaint of the shippers has been that the problems facing them and requiring appropriate action by the authorities concerned would often go unheeded.

The Secretary, however, did not agree with it pointing out that no concrete proposals were being mooted from the shippers associations.

He, therefore, wanted to know if they faced any specific problem requiring intervention of the Ministry. The representatives of four regional shippers associations such as Eastern India Shippers Association, Northern India Shippers Association, Western India Shippers Association and Southern India Shippers Association were present at the meeting.