the goan I network
MARGAO
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Churchill Alemao has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for the MHA order facilitating disembarkation of the seafarers.
However, Churchill has also opposed any move to levy quarantine charges on the seafarers returning from abroad, but hastened to add that there’s no harm to accept the charges if paid by the cruise companies.
Addressing the media with daughter Valanka Alemao, the Benaulim MLA pointed out that he was the first person to dash off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with copies to the union ministers and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on March 29 seeking their intervention to bring the seafarers back.
“I had written the letter after speaking to my son-in-in law, relatives and seafarers from the coastal belt on board the cruise ships, who expressed concern over their future in view of the spread of coronavirus at the various ports,” he recalled.
Saying that he does want to take credit for getting the MHA order on disembarkation of seafarers at Mumbai, Churchill lashed out at some who tried to make politics out of the sensitive issue. “I had called on the Chief Minister again on Saturday as the delay was making the people restless. But, the CM told me to have faith in him, saying the procedure was underway,” he said.
