Pratibha Shipping has been ordered to send home the entire crews of its nine tankers.
While investigating the deaths of six seafarers aboard Mumbai based Pratibha’s grounded tanker Pratibha Cauvery in Chennai, the directorate general of shipping inspectors discovered in January that the statutory and mandatory certificates of the Owner’s remaining ships have expired.
It also cited the deterioration continuing of all nine ships, inhabitable conditions on board, non payment of crew’s wages, delays in repatriation, arrests of some of the ships for non-payment of dues, enforcement of maritime liens by creditors, and poor physical and mental health of the crew members.
The directorate has said it had convened an emergency meeting with the group’s stakeholders, and owner agreed to repatriate all crew members by
10 January.
Upto 150 mariners thought to be on Pratibha’s ships in ports, at anchorages, or at shipyards in Indian waters and overseas.
The crew demanded the owner repatriate them now that their contracts in most cases have ended. The two sides have failed to settle the outstanding wages issue. The owner has proposed settling the wages with the proceeds of the vessels being scrapped.
Three ships are being repaired in overseas yards, while the other six are in Indian waters awaiting the owner’s instructions. Pratibha Cauvery was grounded during a tropical storm on 31 October and five were killed when their lifeboat overturned.
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