PANJIM: The State government has notified draft rules listing specific requirements for vessels in ‘specialised categories’ such as casino boats, floating hotels, transhippers and ships comprising of vast and complex machineries.
The rules, formulated by Ports Administration in consultation with the stakeholders, will be open for public suggestions, objections and views for 15 days.
The rules specify safety requirements of vessels, crew and environment besides making it compulsory to test and verify radio equipments and communication system by radio officer or surveyors of Captain of Ports (CoP) Department. The safe manning verification and confirmation also needs to be carried out by the CoP surveyors, it mentions.
“Officers and ratings assigned specific duties and responsibilities should have valid Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping courses and Continues Discharge Certificate,” states one of the special requirements in the notification issued on Friday.
In addition to this, the draft rules also state that any other officers or crew working onboard casino vessels should mandatorily possess ‘Passenger Ship Familiarization Certificate’ issued by an Institute approved by CoP.
The vessels would be entitled for clearance certificates only after complying with the modalities, a senior CoP official said.
“Compliance for Prevention of Pollution due to oil, bilge water, sewage and Domestic Safety Management procedure have to be verified by the CoP surveyors,” he further said adding that vessels’ inspection would be carried out only on payment of the annual fee of Rs 1 lakh each.
The draft rules committee headed by CoP James Braganza, officer Octavio Rodrigues and others also had stakeholders on the panel while drafting the rules. The CoP will, at the end of the deadline, analyse the suggestions and objections raised during this period for further action.
