(1)Where under the agreement with the crew any dispute arises at any port in India between the master, owner or agent of a ship and any of the crew of the ship, it shall be submitted to the shipping master,-(a)[ where the amount in dispute is up to five lakh rupees or such higher amount not exceeding ten lakh rupees, as the Central Government may, by notification, specify, at the instance of either party to the dispute.](b)in any other case, if both parties to the dispute agree in writing to submit the dispute to the shipping master.[(1-A) Any complaint of dispute received by the shipping master from an Indian seaman, on a vessel registered in a country other than India, in Indian territorial waters, with the master, owner or agent;] [ Inserted by Act 9 of 1998, Section 3 (w.r.e.f. 26.9.1997).]
