Rohit Kumar
Port Blair, 21 February 2023
India has ratified the convention No. 185 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on Seafarer’s Identity Documents (SID) and accordingly Merchant Shipping (Seafarer’s Bio-Metric Identity Documents) Rules, 2016 has been notified and, issuance of SIDs to Indian Seafarer have been launched by DG (Shipping) from August 2019.
Towards issuance of SIDs to Indian Seafarers, the DG(Shipping) has identified 09 Data Collection Centre across the country, due to remoteness the Seafarers of the Directorate of Shipping Services, A & N Administration were finding it difficult to book their slots in the identified Centres timely. Moreover, travelling to these Centres at Mainland from these Islands would also entail additional travelling and other expenses including considerable time of the Seafarers, which was not in the best of interest of seafarers. Further, it was also not feasible for the DSS to spare so many Seafarers together from their duties onboard.
In view of above difficulties, the Directorate took the initiative with the Mercantile Marine Department, Port Blair towards setting up a Data Collection Centre at Port Blair. On regular persuasion of the issue with DG Shipping, a Data Collection Centre for the issuance of SID to Seafarers of these Islands has been set up at MMD Office, Port Blair, which has started functioning from 20th Feb, 2023 and collection of data will be done till 25th February 2023.
All the seafarers of the Directorate of Shipping Services as well as others have been advised to fully utilise the facility of the Data Centre towards issuance of their SIDs.