Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday introduced two Bills – The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2024, and the Bills of Lading Bill, 2024 - in the Lok Sabha.
The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2024, seeks to comply with the international convention and with the changing global scenario in the shipping industry. The provisions will be applicable to outward cargo, that is, ships carrying goods from Indian port to any other port, whether in or outside India.
The Bill will look to bring in modern legislation in place of the Indian Carriage of Goods by Sea Act (1925) – a pre-Independence era statute – “without changing the substance or spirit of the said Act” and “facilitate simplification and ease of understanding”.
“The proposed (Bill) will repeal and re-enact the said Act with a new legislation and for the said purpose, to introduce the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2024 in Parliament,” the Shipping Ministry said while explaining the reasons for bringing in the new statute.
Incidentally, Saugata Roy of the Trinamool Congress opposed the introduction saying that the Indian Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 1925, has been serving its purpose for the past 100 years and The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2024, only has some minor amendments.
Sonowal said, in the new Bill will aim to comply with the international convention and changing global scenario it was necessary to bring in simplification for ease of understanding of the law.
In case of The Bills of Lading Bill, 2024, it will provide rights under bills of lading to vest in consignees or endorsee. In shipping parlance, a bill of lading is a legal document that is issued by a carrier to a shipper detailing the type, quantity and destination of the goods being carried. A bill of lading is a document of title, a receipt for shipped goods and a contract between carrier and a shipper.
The newly introduced Bills of Lading Bill will also repeal another pre-Independence era Act, The Indian Bills of Lading Act 1856.