Report of the Bengal Pilot Service Reorganisation Committee

It is obvious to the Committee that the first step in the direction of reorganisation is the transfer of the Pilot Service from the Government of Bengal to the Calcutta Port Commissioners. [...] 9. The Committee of the Chamber presume that if the transfer be made the Deputy Conservator of the Port will be the officer directly responsible to the Commissioners for the administration of the Pilot Service in the same way as he is responsible for the River Survey the harbour masters etc. [...] Instead of any such expression as I read the letter the gist of same is to deprecate the work of the pilots to belittle the dangers of the river and to call attention to the need for the transfer of the control to the Commissioners. [...] Now taking into consideration that one of the essential conditions of the proposed transfer is that the Pilot Service must be administered by the Deputy Conservator do not the above incidents raise the question as to whether the transfer is likely to result in a continuance of the smooth working of the service which has been the keynote of same for so many years ? In addition the Commissioners [...] I am confirmed in this opinion when I find that the Commisioners are not going to recognise training in any nautical institution in Indian waters to be started by the Government of India.15 Under the circumstances I would press that the Pilot Service should be in the hands of the Government instead of being transferred to the Port Commissioners and to leave the fate of the children of the soi