Section 19N: Suspension of certificates of registration.

(1) A registering authority may suspend, for such period and subject to such conditions as it thinks fit, the certificate of registration of an inland mechanically propelled vessel, if it has reason to believe that after the granting of the certificate the vessel has become unfit to ply in inland waters.

(2) Where the registration of an inland mechanically propelled vessel is suspended under sub-section (1) for a period of not less than one month, the registering authority ordering the suspension shall, if it is not the original registering authority, inform that other authority of the fact of such suspension.

(3) The registering authority suspending the certificate may require the owner or master of the vessel to deliver up the certificate so suspended to itself or, if it is not the original registering authority, to that other authority.

(4) A certificate of registration surrendered under this section shall be returned to the owner when the order suspending the certificate has been rescinded or has ceased to operate. 19-0. Cancellation of registration.—(1) If an inland mechanically propelled vessel has been destroyed or has been rendered permanently unfit for service, the owner of the vessel shall, with the least practicable delay, report the fact to the registering authority of the place where the vessel is registered and shall also forward to that authority, along with the report, the certificate of registration of the vessel and thereupon the registering authority shall have the certificate of registration cancelled.

(2) Any registering authority may at any time require that any inland l[mechanically propelled vessel] within the local limits of its jurisdiction may be inspected by such authority as the State Government may, by general or special order, appoint in this behalf and, if as a result of such inspection, the registering authorit y is satisfied that the vessel is in such a condition that it is not fit to ply in any inland water, the registrering authority may, after giving the owner of the vessel an opportunity of being heard, cancel the registration of the vessel and require the owner thereof to surrender forthwith to the registering authority, the certificate of registration in respect of that vessel, if it has not already been so surrendered. 19P. Appeals.—(1) Any person aggrieved by an order —

(a) refusing to register any inland mechanically propelled vessel under section 19F; or

(b) suspending a certificate of registration under section 19N; or

(c) cancelling a certificate of registration under sub -section (2) of section 19-0, may, within thirty days of the date on which lie receives notice of such order, appeal against it to the State Government.

(2) The State Government shall cause notice of every such appeal to be given to the registering authority concerned in such manner as may be prescribed, and after giving an opportunity to that authority and to the appellant to be heard shall pass such order thereon as it thinks fit. 19Q. Reciprocity.—Where the Central Government is satisfied that by the law or practice of any country outside India, inland mechanically propelled vessels having a certificate of registration in force under this Act—

(a) obtain by reason of such registration any special exemption in that country while plying in the inland waters thereof, or

(b) arc required as a condition of plying in the inland waters of that country to comply with any special requirement, whether by way of registration anew or payment of a f ee or otherwise, the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, for the purpose of reciprocity, direct that the same exemption or requirement, or an exemption or a requirement as similar thereto as may be, be granted to, or imposed upon, inland mechanically propelled vessels registered in that country while plying in the inland waters of the territories to which this Act extends. 2 [19QA. Mortgage of mechanically propelled vessel or share.—The provisions of sections 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52 and 53 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 (44 of 1958), shall mutatis mutandis apply, in relation to the mortgage of a mechanically propelled vessel as they apply in relation to ships, subject to the following modifications, namely: —

(a) in sections 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52 and 53, references to “ship”, “registrar” and “register book”, wherever they occur, shall, respectively, be construed as references to “mechanically propelled vessel”, “registering authority” and “book of registration”;

(b) in section 47, in sub-section (1), for the words “the registrar of the ship‟s port of registry shall record it in the register book”, the words “the registering authority shall record it in the book of registration” shall be substituted.] 19R. Power to make rules.—(1) The State Government may make rules to carry out the objects of this Chapter.

(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may—

(a) prescribe the powers, duties and functions of registering authorities and the local limits of their jurisdiction;

(b) prescribe the form of, and the particulars to be contained in, applications for, and certificates of, registration;

(c) provide for the form and manner in which books of registration shall be maintained under this Chapter;

(d) provide for the issue of duplicate certificates of registration to replace certificates lost, destroyed or mutilated;

(e) prescribe, subject to the approval of the Central Government, the fees to be charged for the registration of inland mechanically propelled vessels or for any other action to be taken by the registering authority under this Chapter, and provide for the exemption of any person or class of persons from payment of the whole or any part of any such fees;

(f) prescribe the period within which, and the manner in which, the owner of an inland mechanically propelled vessel shall make a report of any alteration in the vessel under section 19J; 2 [(fa) prescribe the authority and provide for furnishing to such authority the information with respect to the inland mechanically propelled vessel and its registration under sub-section (5) of section 19K;]

(g) prescribe the manner in which appeals to the State Government may be preferred under this Chapter and the fees payable in respect of any such appeal; (ga) provide for the form of instrument creating a mortgage of a mechanically propelled vessel or a share therein or transfer of any such mortgage;

(h) provide for any other matter which is to be or may be prescribed under this Chapter.] 19S. Certain certificates issued under Merchant Shipping Act to be valid under this Act.—Every certificate of registry and every certificate of survey issued in respect of a mechanically propelled vessel under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 (44 of 1958), shall be valid and effective as a certificate of registration or certificate of survey, as the case may be, issued under this Act and the relevant provisions of this Act shall apply in relation to such vessel as they apply to an inland mechanically propelled vessel registered under this Act.