Lok Sabha Question No. 2999 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-11
Subject: Welfare of Seafarers
Ministry: SHIPPING
Asked by: Sukanta Majumdar, Raja Amareshwara Naik, Vinod Kumar Sonkar, Khagen Murmu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY  OF SHIPPING

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2999 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11TH JULY, 2019

## WELFARE OF SEAFARERS

DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR: SHRI RAJA AMARESHWARA NAIK: SHRI VINOD KUMAR SONKAR:

2999. SHRI KHAGEN MURMU:

Will the Minster of SHIPPING be pleased to state: crd'ckc-{qrfi

- (a) whether the Government  has any mechanism  to safeguard the interest of lndian crew members aboard  in foreign vessels specially in exigencies like pirate hijacking or fatal accidents and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether implementation  of Indian Maritime Act by the Clovernment has been inadequate  in such cases and if so, the details thereof  along with the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (c) whether retired seafarers went on hunger strike over the discontinuance of the monthly ex-gratia allowance  and if so, the details thereof along with the reaction of the Government thereto,
- (d) whether the Seafarer Welfare Fund Society  has been set up for Welfare of lndian seafarers and their families;
- (e) if so, the details  of ob.jectives, functions  and achievements thereof along with welfare schemes  implemented  by it and the funds released thereunder so far; and
- (0 the further steps being taken by the Government for the welfare of seafarers and to resolve their grievance in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINTSTER  OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR SlllPPlNG (SHRI MANSUKH MANDAVIYA)

- (a) Yes Sir, Ministry of Shipping in consultation  with Minis;try of Defence have prepared a Contingency Plan for this and have also documt-.nted  Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)  to safeguard the interest of lndian crew members onboard lndia vessels,  Foreign  vessels as well as lndian Sailing vessels (Dhow).

ln addition,  following are some of lhe irnportant  steps which have been initiated  to deal  with  exigencies  like pirate  hijacking and fatal accidents:

- i) Guiderines  for anti-piracy  measures  have been impremented  on lndian Ships. These guidelines provide  for elaborate "nti piracV measures
2. has been implemented  for restriction on vessels trading solely  in Gulf of A Maritime  Security  Advisory in engaging lndian seafarers Guinea. ii)
3. Naval escorts are provided  by lndian naval ships in the Gulf of Aden, since 2008. The DG Shipping,  Gol is cooidinating  this with the lndian  Navy vis-d-vis lndian and Foreign  flag merchant ships. iii)
4. Circulars are issued from time to time, laying down actions to be taken by lndian Merchant Ships, Shipping- companies  & other stake-holders  to deal with piracy  & armed roblery incidents. iv)
- v) The DG Shipping,  Govt. of lndia has approved  a piracy awareness module/training  program  to sensitize  seafarers  abo;t pi;y & armed robbery at sea.
6. vi) The Directorate  Generar  of shipping has documenred standard Operating  procedures  (SOp)  to deal with fatal accidents  of l;;;; Crew members  aboard in foreign vessels.
7. vii) ln case of fatal accident of an lndian crew member, onboard a foreign  ftagship, the Directorale  General of Shipping ". f nOirn Maritime Administration requests the Flag AOminisiration  to c;;; out invesligation, as per  the provision  of the IMO Code of Conduci of Causality  lnvestigation.
8. Not applicable  Sir, as no such Act exists. (b)
9. No Sir. (c)
10. (d  )  Yes Sir

(e) The objectives as laid down in Welfare Fund Society (SWFS) are the memorandum of Association  of the Seafarer as below:

- i) To provide  and maintain a fund by the name of the Seafarers, Welfare  Fund;

- ii) To provide welfare facilities  in general  to seamen at ports in lndia and to seamen engaged as per provisions  of seclion 101 of the Merchant Shipping Act,  '1958  while at ports abroad;
- iii) To invest in any security or keep in deposit  with any bank and otherwise deal with any moneys of the Society  in such manner as may, from time to time, be prescribed  by the Central Government.
- iv) The SWFS has implemented the following five Welfare  schemes for the benefit of all the lndian  seafarers and their families:
- a) Survival Benefit  Scheme
- b) lnvalidity  Benefit Scheme
- c) Maternity Benefit  Scheme for Female Seafarers,
- d) The Old Age Benefit Welfare  Scheme
- e) Family Benefit Welfare Scheme

The details of funds released  to seafarers so far (year-wise) is as below:

:

Rs.59,905,4'16l-

:

Rs.53,195,875/-

:

Rs. 69,386,431/-

: 2017-18

Rs. 65,688,546/-

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

(f) The Government  of lndia's notification relatrng to mandatory  deposit of welfare fund contributions by the lndian Shipping Companies  and Recruitment  and Placement  services  License  (RPSL) companies for compliance  of regulation 4.5 of ILO-MLC, 2006, became  effective frcm 1.4.2014  onwards.  SWFS srarted receiving the welfare fund contribution from those  companies  w.e.f . 1.4.2014.

The Government  has also formulated a grievance  redressal mechanism. A feedback portal is available on the official website of Directorate General of Shipping and the cPGRAM PG Portal. These portals are monitored by designated officers of DG(S) and its allied officers.