(1)

The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, establish a shipping office at every port in India in which it thinks it necessary so to do, and shall appoint thereto a shipping master and as many deputy shipping masters and assistant shipping masters as it may consider necessary.

(2)

Shipping masters, deputy shipping masters and assistant shipping masters shall exercise their powers and discharge their duties subject to the general control of the Central Government or of any intermediate authority which the Central Government may specify in this behalf.

(3)

The Central Government may direct that at any port at which no separate shipping office is established, the whole or any part of the business of the shipping office shall be conducted at the custom house or at the office of the port officer or at such other office as the Central Government may specify, and thereupon the same shall be conducted accordingly.

(4)

All acts done by or before a deputy shipping master, an assistant shipping master and the officer to whom any business of the shipping office is committed under sub-section (3) shall have the same effect as if done by or before a shipping master for the purposes of this Act.