The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday by Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. The bill aims to expand the eligibility criteria for owning merchant vessels under the Indian flag and includes provisions for investigations into marine casualties. Additionally, it seeks to streamline processes with electronic registration and digital record-keeping.
Opposition Challenges Legislative Competence
The introduction of the bill faced immediate resistance. Congress MP Manish Tewari opposed the bill, raising doubts over the government’s legislative authority. He argued, “I oppose the introduction of the Merchant Shipping Bill 2024 due to concerns over legislative competence. Entry 25 of the Union List covers maritime shipping but does not specifically address merchant shipping, creating ambiguity about the Union’s authority. Additionally, Entry 32 of the Concurrent List on inland waterways and Entry 33 on trade and commerce create potential jurisdictional overlaps, questioning whether the Union Government has exclusive power to legislate on merchant shipping.”
Tewari also criticized the bill’s potential to diminish states’ roles in managing coastal ports and shipping, warning that it could undermine federal principles and create jurisdictional conflicts.
Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy also voiced objections, stating that the bill centralizes authority at the expense of regional autonomy. He remarked, “The government cannot possibly have the insight and resources to manage the proposition they are making, and it overrides the benefits of the original act.”
Key Provisions of the Bill
The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024, seeks to repeal the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, and introduces several new features:
- Broadened Ownership Criteria: Eligibility for ship registration under the Indian flag will expand to include vessels under a bareboat charter-cum-demise (BBCD) arrangement.
- Maritime Liability Framework: Provisions for compensation in cases of collisions and accidents at sea and the establishment of a limitation fund for specific claims.
- Administrative Modernization: Introduction of electronic vessel registration and digital records.
Currently, only Indian citizens or companies are eligible to register vessels under the Indian flag.
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal defended the bill, stating that its provisions align with constitutional mandates and have been reviewed by the Ministry of Law’s departments of legal affairs and legislation.
Despite the defense, the House faced disruptions, with continued protests over the bill leading to an adjournment shortly after its introduction.