Promises `1,000 hike post-2027; calls for skill upgrade among youth
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant felicitating former chief minister Churchill Alemao on the occasion of International Seafarers Day.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant took the platform of International Seafarers Day to announce a permanent pension scheme for Goan retired seafarers and widows.
The Chief Minister further assured to effect a hike in the monthly pension by Rs 1000 after the BJP returns to power in the 2027 Assembly election, exuding confidence that the seafaring community will rally behind the party in the coming election. He has also called for upgrading the skills of Goan youth who wish to make seafaring their career.
At the function organised by the Goan Seamen Association of India (GSAI), the Chief Minister felicitated former Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao, from being a humble Goan seaman navigating the high seas, to reaching the highest echelons of public service as the Chief Minister of Goa, Member of Parliament, Minister, and Legislator.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister reminded that the pension scheme for Goan seafarers was introduced by the BJP under the leadership of former Chief Minister the late Manohar Parrikar. “The Congress government, of which Churchill Alemao was a Minister, did not give pension for the seafarers. You need vision to bring welfare measures for the people. It was the BJP government that introduced the pension,” he said.
Promising that the pension scheme will be made permanent, the Chief Minister said the government will raise the pension amount by Rs 1000 after the BJP returns to power in 2027. “The pension scheme will never be closed. I will increase the pension amount by Rs 1000. I am confident that the seafaring community will stand behind the BJP in the coming elections,” he added.
The Chief Minister paid tribute to Goa’s seafaring community for the sacrifices they have made to raise their families and improve their economic standards. Saying that Goa has a rich history of the seafaring community since the Portuguese era, the Chief Minister referred to the blue economy envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give a boost not just to fishing, but to the blue economy as well.
Referring to the felicitation of Churchill Alemao, the Chief Minister said it is indeed a matter of pride that a seaman rose to become the Chief Minister of Goa. “It is not easy for a seaman to rise to the highest position of Chief Minister. This is indeed a matter of pride. Churchill has always stood by the people and the people have shown their love to him,” he added.
In his address, Churchill Alemao recalled his stint as a seaman and the hardships faced by the seafaring community in those days.
GSAI President Frank Viegas said the government and Directorate General of Shipping should stand firm in resolving the grievances addressed by the seafarers, and urged the shipping companies, maritime authorities, and training institutions to adopt zero-tolerance policies towards harassment and work with organisations like GSAI or unions to build a safer maritime world.
NRI Commissioner Narendra Sawaikar, founder GSAI president, and Cavelossim Sarpanch Dixon Vaz were among those who attended the celebrations.
