Mumbai: The Indian government has amended recent regulation to limit the Indian Register of Shipping's (IRS) monopoly on statutory surveys of national flagged vessels to ports in India and Sri Lanka . The modification empowers external classification societies that have dually classed the vessel to conduct surveys on Indian vessels at overseas ports.
The move comes in response to strong protests by the Indian shipping community following a letter from the Director General of Shipping to six international classification societies, informing them that they would no longer be authorised to conduct statutory surveys of Indian flagged vessels.
'We are very happy that the government has proved so open minded and realistic about the IRS situation,' says Yudhishthir Khatau, director on the INSA board. Pointing out that the Indian classification society has limited overseas resources, he continues, 'There is definitely a large role for the IRS to play in the Indian maritime sector, but it was necessary for owners to have access to other societies at other ports or there would have been a big outflow of tonnage.' [08/08/08]
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