Port Blair, Feb 20: India has ratified the convention No. 185 of the International Labour Organization (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 Aug, 2019.
Towards issuance of SIDs to India Seafarers, the DG (Shipping) although has identified 09 Data Collection Centre across the country but, due to remoteness, the Seafarers of the Directorate of Shipping Services, A&N Administration were finding it difficult to book their slots in the above 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 of this Directorate. Further, it was also not feasible for the DSS to spare these many Seafarers together from their duties onboard, for the above purpose.
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 persuasions with DG Shipping, now, 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 25 Feb, 2023.
In this regard, all Seafarers of the Directorate of Shipping Services as well as others have been advised to fully utilize the facility of above Data Centre towards issuance of their SIDs, without fail.