After Mumbai, it’s maritime in Chandigarh

Chandigarh BJP president Sanjay Tandon inaugurated the office of the Maritime Union of India (MUI) in Sector 47, Chandigarh, on Saturday. After Mumbai, this is MUI’s second office.

“The need to open the MUI office in Chandigarh was felt because several officers are from northern part of the country,” said Capt Naveen Passey, Chairman, Foreign Owners and Ship Managers Association (FOSMA). He made the observation at a programme in Hotel Shivalikview, Sector 17. Three Bees Shipping Private Limited organised the programme.

Amar Singh Thakur, general secretary, MUI, said the union was working on three matters. “First, the MUI is pursuing a case in the Kolkata High Court pertaining to taxation of seafarers’ income. Last year, an appellate authority in Kolkata had wrongly ruled that seafarers’ income should be taxable,” said Thakur.

Uzair Kazmi, legal adviser to the MUI, explained the lacuna in the ruling. “Say, an Indian seafarer is working for a Dubai shipping company. He earns and receives his income abroad. Since he is on the deck, he cannot deposit the money in his bank account. So, he asks his employer to deposit the salary in his Indian bank account. The salary is only deposited in India, and not received in India, as the appellate authority had ruled. Hence, the income cannot be taxed.”

Second, the MUI demands that there shouldn’t be a delay in the examination process for promotion. “In India, the examination process takes nine months to a year, while in the UK, Singapore and Australia, it takes six months. As a result, Indian seafarers go abroad to write examinations,” said Capt KS Rai, Director, Three Bees.

Third, the MUI wants a marine training centre in north India. “Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bhubaneswar have training centres, but there is none in the northern part of the country,” Capt Rai added.

Capt BB Sinha, Director (Planning), Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), urged seafarers to seek avenues in the Indian shipping industry instead of going abroad.

The MUI has opened a guest house for seafarers in Sector 39, Chandigarh. A directory of officers from the Tricity was released on the occasion. —TNS