the goan I network
MARGAO
In an order which is expected to give relief to seafarers working on international cruise liners, the Director General of Shipping has issued an order dispensing SSC eligibility for Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC) for seafarers who have worked on international cruise ships before January 11 2018.
South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar, who had taken up the issue with the centre based on representations from the local seafarers community, was quick to thank Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari for fulfilling the demand of the seafarers.
The order issued by Director General of Shipping Amitabh Kumar, however, mandates that the requirements as prescribed under sub-rule(4) of Rule 4 has been complied with by the seafarer applying for the issuance of CDC and the evidence of having worked on international cruise ship before January 11, 2018 is produced at the time of filing of the application for issuance of CDC as mentioned in the online system of filing up of application.
Sub Rule (5) of Rule 4 prescribes that an applicant must have passed 10th standard in order to meet the eligibility conditions for obtaining CDC.
Meanwhile, while complimenting Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar pointed out that he had made representation to the Union Minister suggesting him to drop the condition as the SSC eligibility condition was coming in the way of the seafarers who were working on the international cruise ships before coming into force of the rule. “This had adversely affected the Goan seamen working on the cruise liners. I had even raised the issue in
Parliament”, he said, adding that the Union Minister had assured to issue appropriate order dispensing the SSC eligibility condition.
“By order issue today, the SSC eligibility condition has been dispensed with. This has come as a big relief to thousands of Goan as well as seafarers from other parts of the country who are working on the cruise ships”, Sawaikar said, while stating that the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Sawaikar is fully committed to the issues of the seafarers community, who are the country’s ambassadors across the globe.
