MARGAO: Amitabh Kumar Additional Director General of Shipping, Government of India, has assured agitated seafarers that the government would find a way to ensure that they do not lose their jobs due to the problem over the Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC) that has emerged due to a misunderstanding.
He explained that the procedure to obtain Indian CDC was simplified and added that Secondary School Certificate was always required to obtain the Indian CDC. “Earlier Indian CDC applicant had to undergo six month Pre Sea training programme for which SSC certificate was mandatory,” he said.
He explained that now the department is not asking for the training programme but instead asking for the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) basically because the recruiters have demanded that there ought to be some standard and are looking for at least spoken English language for jobs on the sea.
“All Indian CDCs will be renewed without asking for any additional document including SSC certificate,” he said adding that the certificate is mandatory only for those applying for fresh Indian CDC and advised seafarers to seek employment only through registered Recruitment and Placement Agencies.
Amitabh said his office would speak to the recruiting companies after one seafarer showed him a letter from the recruiting company stating that the Indian government had made it mandatory for seafarers to have an Indian CDC.
He however ruled out the possibility of issuing Indian CDC based on experience of working on board a ship.
