The Rajya Sabha on Monday passed two Bills on jurisdiction and settlement of maritime claims and the Footwear Design and Development Institute. However, the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill, 2017, could not be taken up.
The Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims), Bill, 2017, passed by the Lok Sabha in March, seeks to consolidate the laws relating to admiralty jurisdiction, legal proceedings in connection with vessels, their arrest, detention, sale and other related matters. While earlier only the High Courts of Bombay, Calcutta and Madras could take up maritime cases, the Bill extends the power to the High Courts of Karnataka, Kerala, Hyderabad, Orissa and Gujarat, besides any other High Courts as notified by the Centre.
Current scenario
Moving the Bill, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Mansukh L. Mandaviya said the old maritime admiralty laws in India needed to be changed in accordance with the current global scenario. He said the Bill was aimed at bringing in clarity to the law.
The Footwear Design and Development Institute Bill, 2017, as earlier passed by the Lok Sabha, is to establish it as an institution of national importance. Although all members supported the Bill, some said recent developments had an adverse impact on leather industry. Referring to the recent incidents involving “cow vigilantes,” Congress member P.L. Punia sought protection to those engaged in the industry.
Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav and BSP’s Veer Singh raised the issue of Agra-based traders saying they were facing severe supply shortage.
Responding to Mr. Yadav’s remarks, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman said flaws of the past were being corrected now.
She said earlier, leather was being supplied from unregulated, unlicensed and illegal sources, which should not have happened.
The government was just trying to regulate the supplies.
Ms. Sitharaman informed the House that the programme currently has 12 campuses, of which seven units are already functional.