A B737-300 WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE FORWARD CARGO COMPARTMENT INOP AND NOT TO BE LOADED DUE TO HOLE IN PIT LINING.

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PRIOR TO PUSHBACK; THE RAMP PERSONNEL ADVISED US THAT HE HAD OBSERVED A PROB IN THE FORWARD CARGO BIN. APPARENTLY; WHERE THE POLE THAT HOLDS THE BIN OPEN ATTACHES TO THE HULL; THERE WAS A HOLE IN CASING OF THE CARGO AREA. HE ADVISED MAINT AND THEN INDICATED TO US THAT; IN HIS OPINION IT WAS A FIRE HAZARD. APPARENTLY; MAINT AGREED; AS THEY CHOSE TO DEFER THE PIT. WE WERE AT GATE AT ZZZ IN ACFT X AND WERE SCHEDULED TO PUSH AT XA20. WE FINALLY PUSHED OFF THE GATE AT XA55. THE PROB WAS FIXED AND WE HAD A CURRENT MAINT RELEASE DOC AT XA33; BUT APPARENTLY A SUPVR WANTED DOCUMENTATION AND SENT FOR A CAMERA TO PHOTOGRAPH THE AREA IN QUESTION (OR THAT HE QUESTIONED; AS MAINT APPARENTLY THOUGHT IT WAS A LEGITIMATE GRIPE OR THEY WOULD NOT HAVE DEFERRED THE PIT). AT ANY RATE; THE RAMP PERSON INDICATED THAT HE HAS SEEN THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE CROP UP MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY ON THE B737 FLEET AND FELT IT WAS A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD; AS THE PIT NOW HAD A HOLE THAT MIGHT INHIBIT THE FIRE SUPPRESSION CAPABILITY OF THE ACFT. HE INDICATED THAT SOMETIMES THE LINE MECH SUPVRS AND RAMP SUPVRS ARE IN AGREEMENT AND SOMETIMES THEY PRESS THE ISSUE AND OVERRULE HIM.