Lok Sabha passes bill to simplify maritime regulations

Lok Sabha spokesman Om Birla held a lawsuit in the House during a Congressional Budget Conference in New Delhi on March 28, 2025. Photo: Sansad TV via PTI

Lok Sabha on Friday (March 28, 2025) passed a bill that aims to modernize provisions on shipping goods at sea and simplify maritime regulations.

this Sea Act Transportation of Goods, 2024passed by voice voting. The bill was filed in Lok Sabha on August 9, 2024.

It attempted to replace Indian goods transport through the Maritime Act of 1925, which established liabilities, liabilities, rights and immunities for goods from Indian ports to other ports or any other port in the world. The bill is in line with the International Convention, which is the unification of certain legal rules, and is related to the bill of lading in August 1924 (The Hague Rules) and subsequent amendments.

The new bill retains all provisions of the bill. It enables the Union Government to issue directions under the Act and to modify the rules that stipulate the applicable bill of bills.

Bills of lading refer to documents issued by freight carriers to shippers. It contains details such as the type, quantity, condition and destination of the goods carried. The rules outline the responsibilities, liabilities, rights and immunity of the cargo carrier.

Eliminate colonial law

Sarbananda Sonowal, the union minister for ports, shipping and waterways, said in response to a debate before the bill passed that new legislation is part of a broader government initiative to eliminate colonial laws and simplify maritime regulations to facilitate business.

“This new legislation is part of the government’s larger plan to get rid of all the remains of colonial thinking and ensure that business is easy to understand and easy to do with simple and reasonable laws,” Mr Sonowal said.

He said the bill aims to provide clear responsibilities, responsibilities, rights and immunity to carriers in the transportation industry to ensure smooth implementation. “We have brought all the stakeholders on board and our main purpose is to make the law simpler and better understand,” he said.