Monte Cristo yet another hijack in the Gulf of Aden area

http://www.somaliareport.com/index.php/post/1737/MV_Montecristo_Hijacked_by_Somali_Pirates

Another hijack, with Indians and others onboard, of a brand new bulk carrier this time.

More details follow soon.

+++

Update 13oct'11:- All seafarers onboard were rescued by the NATO led forces, Royal British Navy and US Navy, and all pirates held.

http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-D9C32FCD-5C79A24A/natolive/news_79242.htm

Open observation on Indian flag ships and life therein

Basad on first hand observations as well as supported by inputs from others, the one big thing that needs to be done is that people involved in the shore aspect of shipping need to spend atleast 6 months onboard an Indian flag ship every five years.

The full cycle, from recruitment to briefing to joining to life on board and sign off/debrief.

This business of revalidating tickets basis a course or being involved in shipping ashore is simply not enough.

This doesn't include a separate treatise on the games indian shipping companies and their agents play in context with salaries, taxation, and the rest of it.

On cabotage in India, and the games that some entities play . . .

Where does national interest, security and the economy come in, or is the country up for sale again, to a bunch of people who will sell out for 30 pieces of silver? Or even less?

http://moneylife.in/article/on-the-push-to-change-cabotage-rules-largely-due-to-a-one-sided-contract-thats-harmful-to-cochin-port-trust/19438.html

On the push to change cabotage rules, largely due to a one-sided contract that’s harmful to Cochin Port Trust

""A one-sided contract between Cochin Port Trust, the landlord, and DP World Ports Vallarpadam Terminal, its tenant, has led to intense lobbying over cabotage rules. A local problem, which has more to do with a local solution, is being used as a catalyst to push a deeper agenda with a national bearing. The country's interests are at the stake, once again, for reasons that increasingly appear to be very shady  . . .""

Read on:-

http://moneylife.in/article/on-the-push-to-change-cabotage-rules-largely-due-to-a-one-sided-contract-thats-harmful-to-cochin-port-trust/19438.html

Why are Indian ports the destination for every over-age rustbucket in the world?

As published at MoneyLife:-

http://moneylife.in/article/why-are-overage-ships-with-improper-documents-being-chartered-for-indian-ports/18732.html

Why are overage ships with improper documents being chartered for Indian ports?
August 08, 2011 06:25 PM | 
Veeresh Malik

New questions are cropping up everyday over the Rak Carrier and Pavit, but nobody is giving any answers; and all this is happening in the region of India’s biggest naval base

As the issue of oil from the tanks of the MV Rak Carrier and the MT Pavit start reaching the coastline and bays, as well as estuaries around Mumbai, the issues of the documentation around the two ships starts getting even murkier, as does what appears to be a combined effort to cover-up. The fact remains, however, that unlike in the case of the similarily overage MSC Chitra, where a specific collision caused very specific damage to the ship before it went down more or less intact by way of oil tanks and other spaces, in the case of the Rak Carrier a progressive breakup is going to create havoc, and in the case of the Pavit the complete mystery of how a ship that was allegedly sinking landed up off Mumbai with oil drums lashed and intact on deck is going to need more forensic capabilities than shown so far.

As seafarers all over the world know, the first thing that goes adrift and overboard, breaking loose from any restraint whatsover, are the lubricating and hydraulic oil drums stored on deck, simply because they are the most exposed items on deck. In the case of the Pavit, despite everything reported, the sight of oil drums merrily standing neatly made fast on deck is in itself as miraculous as, for example, the fact that the ship itself did not sink after being abandoned.

However, it is what appears to be a multiple cover-up in the case of the Rak Carrier that nurtures astonishment of a degree which is doing more than lifting eyebrows all over. This is over and above what appears to be a fairly well planned evacuation from the ship, to use a polite word, leaving it to sink at a location where it will cause yet some more hazards to marine life as well as other passing traffic. All this in the biggest naval base in India.

Consider this:

# The chief officer of the Rak Carrier, in an interview on TimesNow television, claimed that the ship had arrived in Mumbai as early as 12th July, and then took stores as well as fuel while anchored off Mumbai. How she managed this in the monsoons in the first case and without customs or immigration formalities in the other, is something that needs to be responded to. So far, there's been deep silence. Immigration comes under the Intelligence Bureau, so it is not possible to get this information under the Right to Information Act and as for customs it is absolutely likely that the ship simply did not inform the Indian Customs.

# There is still no response from anybody—neither the owners, nor charterers, or cargo interests, or the Directorate General of Shipping, or whoever-on what class this ship carries and who was responsible for declaring in the statement from the Press Information Breau that she was under Lloyd's Register, when Lloyd's themselves have published that they withdrew class in November 2010. How a ship was chartered in with cargo for India when she was not only very overage, but also without class is not being explained. Again, deep silence.

# The Maharashtra police have, as per reports, filed for "negligence" under the Indian Penal Code. This is about as easy as it gets, though prima facie, this epsiode smacks of criminal conspiracy, fraud and attempt to destroy evidence. There is no information on whether the ship's staff brought the hard discs of the various logs and data recorders on board, though they seem to have had time to get their packed bags, computers, personal documents and more.

# From the environmental point of view, it is amply clear that this is much more than just a state government issue. The impact of this specific pollution is going to be what it is, but it will embolden others to come and do what they want within India's economic zone, whether it is fishing or dumping oil and other pollutants. In addition, there is a national security angle, which again goes beyond the singular purview of the state. When are the central investigative agencies going to step in?

# A gazette notification was published on 29 December 2005 instructing all parties that ships bringing cargoes into India are to adhere to certain simple logical compliances as far as insurance and other related issues like pollution and wreck removal are concerned. This gazette notification was kept in abeyance soon thereafter, without any explanation why, on 2 August 2006. Here is the notice.

The text of the Gazette of India notification no. 403 dated 20 September 2005 is reproduced hereunder.

" G.S.R. 600(E) - In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 6 of the Indian Ports Act, 1908 (15 of 1908), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules to regulate the entry of vessels into Ports, namely:
1. (1) These rules may be called the Entry of Vessels into Ports Rules, 2005.
(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

2.   Insurance cover:
Owner of a vessel entering a Port shall have to produce an insurance cover for compensation in relation to:
(i) Wreck removal expenses;
(ii) Pollution damage caused by spillage of oil or any hazardous and noxious substances; from a Protection and Indemnity Club which is a member of an International Group of Protection and Indemnity Club or a Club duly approved by the Central Government.

3. The vessel which fails to produce the insurance cover referred to in rule 2 shall not be allowed to enter the Port:
Provided that the provisions of these rules shall not be applicable to a non Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS) Convention vessel if the owner of the vessel furnishes an undertaking for compensation to the port in connection with expenses which port may incur on removal of wreck and pollution damages caused.

4.  Explanation: 
Non Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS) ships means a cargo ship with less than 500 gross tonnage (GT) and includes a ship engaged on domestic voyage, a domestic passenger ship and other small ship being used as fishing vessel and tug."

However, on 2 August 2006, the same ministry deemed it fit to issue another gazette notification: -

"The entry of vessels into Port Rules 2005 published in the extraordinary gazette dated September 20, 2005, vide No. G.S.R. 600(E) under Section 6 of the Indian Ports Act 1908 (15 of 1908) is kept in abeyance with immediate effect until further order of the Central Government of India".

That gives all of us an idea of the real direction that the central government is taking in context with the issue of insurance, or lack of insurance thereof, for ships visiting Indian ports.

Another circular/notification from the Directorate General of Shipping on the subject of overage ships, especially during the monsoons, is reproduced in its entirety, and nothing more need be said about the subject. It is another fact and truth that overage ships of all sorts regularly visit Indian ports, for what is known as "commercial considerations", of all sorts.
 
Shipping Development Circular No.1 of 2008

NO: SD-9/CHRT(82)/97-IV          Dated  25.04.2008                                                                               
Subject :  Revised guidelines for chartering of vessels under Sections 406 and 407 of Merchant Shipping Act ,1958.

Concerned by the rising trend of marine accidents in and around Indian waters especially during rough weather, the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways set up a Committee in July, 2007 to suggest urgent measures to reduce marine casualties.  Since analysis of the accidents over the last 3 years showed a significant correlation between age of vessels and the break-downs which caused these casualties, the Committee recommended, inter-alia, the revision of guidelines to restrict the age of vessels plying in Indian waters and a tighter regime of surveys and inspections.

2. Accordingly, in the interest of maritime safety, it has been decided to modify existing guidelines for chartering of vessels under Sections 406 and 407 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 (M S Act).  Existing  DGS Circulars Nos. 7 of 2003 dated 11.06.03 and 8 of 2003 dated 14.08.2003 (read with clarifications vide Memorandum dated 21.11.2003 and 31.12.2003), restrict only the charters of tankers to those which are less than 25 years (30 years in the case of gas carriers) and are CAS and CAP-2 rated and classed with IACS.

3. It is now further decided, after taking into consideration the views and objections of a wide range of stakeholders, that, with effect from 15th May 2008, applications for permissions for chartering in / grant of licence to vessels under Sections 406 and 407 of the MS Act either for single or specific voyages or time charters that enable vessels to visit an Indian port or to ply in Indian territorial waters or the Indian EEZ will be entertained only as follows:

3.1 During the period of foul weather, being 1st June till 31st August in the Arabian Sea along the West Coast and 1st May till 30th November in the Bay of Bengal along the East Coast of the Indian Peninsula:

3.1.1 From all cargo vessels - other than gas carriers, oil or product tanker and   dredgers - only if they are less than 25 years of age. 

3.1.2 From gas carriers, only if they are less than 30 years of age.

3.1.3 From oil or product tankers, only if they are double hull or if single hull, less than 20 yrs and fulfilling the Condition Assessment Scheme (CAS) requirements as assessed by the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) or Classification Societies that are notified as Recognized Organizations by the Government.   Consequently, SD Circulars 7 and 8 of 2003 giving guidelines for chartering of oil and product tankers will stand modified accordingly for the period of foul weather.

3.1.4 For all time charters of vessels other than passenger vessels, to be entered into with effect from 15th May, 2008, which include in the period of charter any period of foul weather, only if the age of the vessel proposed is less than 25 years at the time of termination of the charter period.

3.2 Regardless of the period of the year - from Offshore Service Vessels (OSVs) of all description (e.g. anchor handling tug, accommodation barge, tug, supply vessels, support vessels, barges, pontoons, etc.) or any other type of vessels which are chartered-in / engaged for the purposes of  plying in and around offshore oil exploration areas and / or where security/safety sensitivities are high, only from those that are less than 25 years old, are classed with the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS); and    have undergone inspection and rectification of deficiencies of hull, machinery, safety appliances and operational requirements (e.g. manning, etc.) before entry into Indian territorial waters.

4. All shipping companies, exporters, importers and agents may kindly take note of the change in eligibility of vessels for consideration of grant of chartering permissions and amend their own chartering terms, practices and instructions accordingly.

5. This issues with the approval of the Director General of Shipping and Ex-Officio Additional Secretary to the Govt. of India.

Sd/-
(Samuel Darse)
Deputy Director General of Shipping

MEMORANDUM

NO: SD-9/CHRT(82)/97-IV    Dated 13.05.2008

Subject : S.D. Circular No.01 of 2008 - Clarifications regarding

This Directorate has been receiving numerous correspondences seeking clarifications on Shipping Development Circular No. 01 of 2008 dated 25.04.2008 issued by this Directorate regarding revised guidelines for chartering in  of vessels under Section 406 and 407 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958. The matter has been examined further and it is clarified as follows:-

1. The said Circular does not apply to Indian Flag Vessels, as they are registered and already licensed to ply in Indian waters.

2. The said Circular applies to all vessels chartered in under Section 406 and 407 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 except vessels already carrying the Indian Flag.

3. The said Circular is applicable from 15th May 2008. It therefore does not affect vessels licensed under section 406 and 407 before 15th May 2008, even, if the existing license overlaps the rough weather period. 

4. Clause 3.1.4 of the said Circular stands amended to read as follows:
 "3.1.4. For time charters of vessels other than passenger vessels, to be entered into with effect from 15th May 2008, which include in the period of charter any period of foul weather, only if the age of the vessel proposed, is less than that specified in Clause 3.1.1, 3.1.2 and 3.1.3 for the respective category of vessel, at the time of termination of the charter period".

5. This issues with the approval of the Director General of Shipping and Ex-Officio Additional Secretary to the Government of India.

Sd/-
(Samuel Darse)
Deputy Director General of Shipping

Moneylife shall file the required RTI applications in these cases.

Record keeping at the DG Shipping office in Mumbai . . .

To give you an idea, for an incident involving fire on board a ship from one of the "leading" management companies, which also resulted in loss of life as well as total constructive loss of the ship. One asked for a copy of the enquiry reports and other documents - said enquiry continuing for a few years after the incident and pertaining to a lot that could be learnt for future generations of seafarers.

But what do you know? The answer I got to an RTI application filed almost 4 months ago, after due follow-up and First Appeal, has this to say:- "Being an issue over 11 years old, relating to the year 2000, the concerned files on this issue have to be traced from the official records of this organisation. Efforts are underway to do so, still. However, they have not been located, as yet, despite earnest efforts made towards that end by this office."

What does one say to this reality? Sure, the Joint DGS assures me of his best efforts to locate and retrieve, but is that what we have dropped down to at this office?

An article on piracy and steps on board from January 2011

This was first submitted for publication in SAILOR TODAY in January 2011, and is even more valid today, so here goes, repeated . . .

+++

It is now about time that a simple demand be made by seafarers working on Indian flag ships - that a contingent of Indian Navy personnel be carried onboard all our ships operating in blue waters between Aden, Singapore and the Southern Indian Ocean. Attacks within Indian Economic Zone as well as not too far from the oil exploration areas are now becoming commonplace, and before tragedy strikes or they become another accepted danger of being at sea, a strong, message needs to be sent across clearly that any Indian merchant ship is going to not just be safe in Indian waters but also respond vigorously internationally.

It has also to be stated and is an open secret that more than a few foreign shipping companies are openly carrying armed personnel on board, and the crew as well as officers onboard are certainly benefitting from this, lifeboat capacity and other minor issues be damned. It is easy for those sitting in their little ivory towers in Mumbai and Delhi to pontificate on rights of innocent passage - what do they know, many of them have armed guards to protect their petty little backsides the moment they step out of their offices.

So what are seafarers supposed to do, then, about this reality? Especially for those sailing under the Indian flag . . .

1) Insist with your shipowners that they provide armed guards onboard in case the vessel is trading Arabian Sea/Indian Ocean. The current defined danger area is bounded by the Indian coast, Arab coast and African coast as well as 15 degrees South and about 78 degrees East already, as per a NATO report. Look on a map, and see how far this gets us?

2) Insist on vastly increased levels of personal insurance and danger pay. There has to be at least 15-20 years worth of salary, protected by inflation, as insurance. In addition, triple pay, at least. This is the least that people who are putting their lives on the line need, and close to keeping in line with much lesser than what those in the Armed Forces get.

3) Make this point very clear during the revalidation classes, as well as every possible interaction with the company ashore, preferably in writing. Take the trouble to get in touch with the Union, MUI or NUSI, both have been very pro-active of late, and there is every reason to cooperate with them - especially Mr. Abdul Gani Sarang, whose doors are always open, as personal experience shows.

4) Reach out to the media, print and television, and let them know what you feel. Get on to the internet, blogs and all, including photos. Write to your elected representative, Ministry, and others. File pre-emptive RTIs. The pen is your strongest weapon, and the keyboard a force multiplier.

At the end of the day, WE shall have to make our voice heard, and dignity as well as safety restored. The pirates, such as they are, don't dare venture near Israeli flag ships, as well as ships of some companies they know are carrying armed personnel on board - about time they ran and turned tail when they see the Indian red ensign too.

Veeresh Malik

Here's an RTI on l'affaire RAK AFRIKANA that I filed . . .

To:-

 

Shri S.G. Bhandare, PIO, or incumbent PIO, under RTI Act of India 2005,

Public Authority the Dy. Director General of Shipping,

Jahaz Bhavan,Walchand H. Marg, Mumbai - 400 001 ( India)

 

dtd: 10th May 2011

 

Greetings & Jai Hind!!  Most humbly request information under the RTI Act of India, 2005,  please provide me with the following information. THIS INFORMATION IS SOUGHT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST, AND THERE IS OVER-RIDING PARAMOUNT LARGER PUBLIC INTEREST TO BE GIVEN THE INFORMATION I HAVE ASKED FOR.

 

+++

 

INFORMATION REQUIRED:-

1) Please provide me a certified copy of following documents held by or available to your public authority. I would also like to inspect all concerned files online personally at New Delhi.

a) Please provide me with full style and address of the RPS agencies involved in recruiting and sending Indian seafarers on board the following vessels which have been hijacked/pirated for the period from 01 January 2010 onwards:- mv RAK AFRIKANA, mv ASPHALT VENTURE and mv SININ.

 

b) Please provide me with full style and address of the entities who are registered owners, beneficiary owners, desponent owners, tax-haven owners, secret owners, any other owners, as well as any entities holding lien on vessel and cargo of the above ships with Indian seafarers onboard:- mv RAK AFRIKANA, mv ASPHALT VENTURE and mv SININ.

 

c) Kindly provide me with information on whether contact has been established by DG Shipping with the entities mentioned in 'a" and "b" above, and if so, details thereof.

 

d) If any of the above said statutory records is not available, the complete details of how it was destroyed / weeded out in each case..

 

e) Electronic access to the catalogue (or catalogues) of all records of your public authority duly indexed in a manner and the form to facilitate right to information, either over the computer networks or in the form of a diskette or other electronic media at the prescribed fees.

 

Sent by eMail and signed hard copy, (signed) and humbly submitted,

 

 

Veeresh Malik,  D-61, Defence Colony, New Delhi - 11oo24   (mobile: 00-91-99118-25500)

 

Note 1:-Application fee of Rs. 10/- in cash shall be submitted within 30 days as per procedure laid down by DoP&T at PIO, DG Shipping, Mumbai, or at any one of the nominated APIOs located at the specified Post Offices in India, and a copy of this application along with receipt shall be sent to you co-terminus. Interim, you are requested to commence processing this RTI Application as per the RTI Act-2005 with effect from date of submission of this electronic copy, also as per the RTI Act-2005.

Note 2:- The public authority, Office of DG Shipping, Mumbai, has not yet published their arrangements to accept / accompany electronic payments for e-filings as per section 6 of the Information Technology Act 2000, is requested to do same, - and hence I am constrained to go to extra expense / trouble to file a routine email request by Postal Department also.

+++

Part II on the mv WISDOM aground at Juhu Beach report for Moneylife

And here's the second part of my report

http://moneylife.in/article/the-mv-wisdom-fiasco-the-story-gets-murkier-and-murkier/17274.html

The MV Wisdom fiasco: The story gets murkier and murkier

The mystery behind what the 36-year-old Anchor Handling Tug (AHTS) Seabulk Plover, with the 26-year-old container ship MV Wisdom, due for scrapping, was actually doing along the Indian coast for almost two weeks before the container ship landed up on the beach off Juhu, now begins to deepen


""The next surprise is that on departing Colombo, the tug & tow combo gave their destination as "Cochin", but records available online do not show them as having visited Cochin Port. Certainly, it is possible that they did not enter the port, and simply steamed past slowly or they may have even stopped for stores and supplies-but then, did they report themselves to the Maritime authorities? This information is not available on the Cochin Port Trust website anymore.

Likewise, there is no report of any such report being made while passing Mangalore or Mormugao, the other two big ports en route. The Mumbai Port Trust website, likewise, does not show anything. It is likely, however, that they may have made their reports to these ports as they steamed past, and this information is simply not updated in the public domain, unlike in the rest of the world.""

http://moneylife.in/article/the-mv-wisdom-fiasco-the-story-gets-murkier-and-murkier/17274.html

Jugal Purohit's blog on DG Shipping and the State of Affairs there . . .

This one by Jugal Purohit (of Times Now) is eminently readable . . .


http://thoughtso.wordpress.com/2011/05/14/piracy-dgs-reacts-leaves-none-impressed/

On May 11, 2011, the Mumbai-based Director General (DG) Shipping, under fire for being unable to react effectively to the scourge of piracy affecting Indian men and waters, finally reacted as the agency issued an ’Order’ (available on the website: www.dgshipping.com). For an organisation, long seen as being on sedatives even by its own community of seafarers, this was a sizeable step. However, on closer analysis with various stakeholders, the verdict seems to echo the timeless phrase, ‘too little, too late’.


(Here;s the actual DGS order . . . 


http://www.dgshipping.com/dgship/final/notices/dgsorder4_2011.htm

Another view on helping people impacted by maritime piracy . . .

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/MerchantNavy/message/14172

Re: MNOA/Chandigarh, seminar on maritime piracy

This has become a really long and interesting message set, in the course of the
night while I was away from the internet.

1) I personally do not support donations of any sort for attending conferences
or seminars. If the organisers want somebody that badly, then they pay. If the
person wants to say something that much, he pays. Day in and day out I am
invited to conferences in and around Delhi - corruption, environment, motoring,
media, the whole nine yards - and that has been the standard at the good ones -
and by and large, say what you want, most of these conferences evolve into
networking and co-opting functions. Reality is what people like Anna Hazare do,
everybody pays his own way.

2) The approach here is this - it is the value of the conference that is being
enhanced by the presence of the specific person with something to say. It is
also a cause that goes further if this cost is borne by the organisers.

3) If we have to make donations, then my sincere suggestion, request, advice, is
this:- please start with direct donations to the families of the people onboard
ships, that's my take on the subject. That is as far as looking behind, to help
those already in trouble, is concerned.

4) If we have to do something to fix things, looking ahead, then let us start
closer home, let us first of all openly accept the truths, with open house and
conference/seminar with our very own authorities. When was the last time DGS or
MoS or MUI or NUSI et al chose to hold a two-way dialogue with seafarers and
their families, anybody recall? After the Mangalore AIX crash, there was a
concentrated effort by some pilots and others to get into the whole rotten
aspects of aviation training and certification as well as other aspects of the
Indian aviation business - and the single point they focused was on the corrupt
core - DGCA. I am saying this here and have said it elsewhere - if we want to
fix things for looking ahead - let us get DGS in order. Call them to give
account. Let us fix the training colleges. But we won't do that because the
majority of seafarers ashore depend on this corrupt system to propagate their
own little feathered nests, right?

5) I know Capt. Choudhary quite well, and put it this way - he certainly has the
wherewithal to go for this conference on his own steam if he really wants to, as
he has expressed too. Very good man, and sincere - he went to Chandigarh on his
own steam and did something that most of us have not done - met with families of
piracy victims. Let us start by emulating him - I can help co-ordinate such
gatherings in Mumbai to start with - any takers? Maybe do it in the ballroom at
Seaman's Club, call the media, ask DGS, Shipping Office to send representatives?

+++

So let us have a conference/seminar in India on matters pertaining to DGS. Let
us call not just the usual bunch of nodding heads waiting for lunch and evening
cocktails, let us call established speakers from investigation agencies, other
government departments, legal firms, tax specialists, families of seafarers
affected - and have them answer specific questions out in advance with people
from DGS present to counter the responses.

Let this conference/seminar be live on web, and let it be open to all. Let us
ask the YellowGate Police Station what THEY think about matters pertaining to
piracy, for example?

Today we have a regulatory body called the DGS who is not shy of attending
conferences and seminars everywhere else in the world - when did they last hold
one in India, a really good two-way one, on this subject?

I read day in and day out - of, we don't know who to deal with in the pirate's
lair. Oh, don't go to media. Oh, don't rock the boat. Oh, the shipping
agent/management company will cut off our monthly payments (as a few have done,
by the way, while the owners of these shipmanagement companies don't seem to be
suffering when they attend their CMMI meets in their luxury cars and gold decked
spouses . . .)

But I never hear from DGS for example, and maybe they should put it on their
website too:-

THIS is the agency responsible for such and such FOC flag, we are calling him
here to answer questions.

THIS is the real ship-owner we have issued him summons under our MSA/RP rules to
attend this enquiry.

THIS is the surveyor/inspector from our flag state who went onboard the ship and
said all is well but now the ship has sunk.

THIS is the shipmanager who did not provide proper anti-piracy measures on the
ship he sent people via RPS/DGS.

THIS is the person from DGS who placed a bond value of Rs 10000.oo per seafarer
onboard a foreign flag ship.

THIS is the Union official who has been in the seat for 30 years while
everywhere else terms are being restricted apropos IOA/CWG.

Tell you the truth, we can't even get our own DGS to reply to RTI Applications,
and have to drag them to CIC/Delhi for a response? (That's my own experience,
maybe DGS feels it is still, like INSA, fighting the Government of the day to
assist Indian shipowners - forgetting that the Government of the Day, for better
or for worse, is us?

+++

Conferences and seminars are fine - but the real issue is at home with our own
governance.

And if we have spare money, may I, once again, suggest it goes straight to the
families? Start with asking MNOA/Chandigarh and SAILORS HELPLINE/Kochi, two
organisations which are doing just that, going down to the basics, to give us
names and addresses - and then just get up and send a money order, put the
money in the bank account number, send a cheque, send a parcel with clothes,
send whatever.

+++

Humbly submitted.

Veeresh Malik

Flag of Convenience offices in India do not have diplomatic immunity . . .

It appears that the so-called self-acquired "diplomatic immunity" assumed by many of these Flag of Convenience/Open register companies and their offices issuing certificates, collecting payments and doing other documentation in India is being questioned rigorously by the authorities in Delhi.


That many of the people who in the past or present represent or consult with or even have stakes in these foreign FOC offices happen to be ex-seafarers who have spent time at various levels in the regulatory and other Government bodies is not escaping this investigation, too, seems they have even gone into the close relatives aspect too.


It starts with Panama, is what I am told, including their business of issuing equivalent certification of all sorts on a price-list.


Some effect of this passing of the buck on the piracy issue, I guess, will cause this corrupt core to crumble from within. I believe two close relatives have already "resigned" and one is going back to writing books, in a nutshell?

Will DG Shipping soon face the next DGCA kind of probe?

And why not, then, when the truth is known in every back-lane and side-lane near every port.

This article from today's MINT is self-explanatory:-

http://www.livemint.com/2011/05/05234419/DGCA-warns-staff-with-kin-in-a.html


DGCA warns staff with kin in airlines

Regulator bars officers from taking decisions about carriers where their wards work to avoid conflict of interest.


Can we start thinking about whether the DG Shipping, Mr. Agnihtori, would consider implementing something like this at the DG Shipping and other allied offices, to start with?