New law to tackle sea piracy

The Union government is considering bringing in a new legislation to tackle piracy in view of increasing incidents of Indian ships being hijacked on high seas, according to Exim News Service.

In 2010, 12 Indian mechanised sailing vessels (MSVs), commonly known as 'dhows', with 174 Indian nationals were hijacked, the Shipping Minister, Mr G. K. Vasan, said.

The government has also raised the issue at the UN to find a solution in this regard, he pointed out.

"The Indian delegation to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has expressed serious concern over the piracy incidents and have urged the need for the UN to lead the initiative to mitigate piracy," Mr Vasan said.
(Source:www.transportweekly.com)