Section 7 in The Merchant Shipping (Recruitment and Placement of Seafarers) Rules, 2016
7. Functions of seamen's employment office.
(1)The seamen's employment office shall,(a)issue or renew a licence referred to in rules 9, 10 and rule 11;(b)maintain a record of licences issued and assign a distinct licence numbers and display the details of licences on the website of the Directorate General of Shipping;(c)maintain a record of recruitment and placement services whose licences are suspended or cancelled and arrange to display the details thereof on website of the Directorate General of Shipping;(d)maintain the details of complaints received from seafarers concerning working or living conditions on board a ship;(e)refer, wherever required, the complaints concerning the activities of the recruitment and placement services and the complaints received from recruitment and placement services against errant seafarers to the advisory board; and(f)maintain details of information received in case of death or disability of seafarers.(2)Where the recruitment and placement service fails to undertake its responsibilities referred under clause (e) and (g) of sub-rule (1) of rule 5, the bank guarantee referred to in rule 12 shall be invoked and utilised by the seamen's employment office for the said purpose.(3)If the amount available in the bank guarantee referred in sub-rule (2) is insufficient, the welfare contribution of the Recruitment and Placement Service to the Seafarers Welfare Fund Society, Mumbai shall be utilised for the purpose as an interim measure.(4)The amount so utilised under sub-rule (2) or (3) shall be recovered from the Recruitment and Placement Service within a period of one month from the date of such utilisation failing which the licence of the Recruitment and Placement Service concerned shall stand suspended till the payment is replenished along with interest as specified by the Director-General, but in any case not more than one and a half per cent per month from the date of such payment.(5)The Director may on receipt of a complaint from any seafarer or next of kin, conduct a detailed enquiry on it.(6)The Director, if deemed necessary, order for special inspection for the specific purpose by the inspecting authority or any person authorised by the Director-General.(7)The special inspection may be done in the office of the recruitment and placement service or any of its branches or subordinate offices, as deemed necessary.
