Mumbai: 42 seafarers refuse to get off ship fearing non payment of dues

Mumbai: 42 seafarers refuse to get off ship fearing non payment of dues
11 October, 2020 https://www.mid-day.com/articles/mumbai-42-seafarers-stuck-on-ship-with-...

The crew of M V Karnika said on Friday that they had power back-up to last only 36 hours. For the past week, they have survived on cornflakes for breakfast, paani-puri for lunch and burgers for dinner as food stock is depleting fast

Forty-two seafarers have refused to disembark a ship caught in a legal tangle and abandoned by its owners for all practical purposes for almost a month now, fearing they will not be paid their dues if they leave the vessel.

As per a report in Mumbai Mirror, the crew of M V Karnika operated by Jalesh Cruises said on Friday that they had power back-up to last only 36 hours, after which they will not be able to even charge their mobile phones. For the past week, they have survived on cornflakes for breakfast, paani-puri for lunch and burgers for dinner as food stock is depleting fast.

Director General, Shipping, Amitabh Kumar, said the dire situation onboard M V Karnika has been brought to his notice. “I received complaints on Thursday about non-payment of dues to the crew. The situation is quite bad. I will send officers of my Marine Mercantile Department to the ship to conduct an investigation,” he said.

Apart from being placed under arrest by the Bombay Port Trust following non-payment of dues, the cruiseliner is also under arbitration at the Bombay High Court (HC) because of unpaid bills to vendors. The crew members, who were called to carry routine maintenance, after the ship docked in August were kept in the dark about the legal troubles by Mumbai, Khar-based Campbell Shipping Pvt Ltd, which holds the recruitment and placements services license for the vessel. The crew has not been paid since August and according to them the total arrears stand at over $ 227986 (roughly Rs 1.66 crore).