MARGAO
The State government’s last-minute notification before the election code of conduct came into force in early January extending the pension scheme for retired seafarers and widows for a year has not changed the ground reality.
For, beleaguered retired seafarers and the widows have not received the monthly pension for the last two months since December last when the notification notifying the scheme lapsed.
Inquiries by The Goan has revealed that though the government has extended the pension scheme via the notification, the Home Department is yet to credit the pension amount in the account of the NRI Affairs, the agency implementing and executing the scheme.
Sources said that without the Home Department crediting the amount into the account of NRI affairs, the office cannot start disbursing the amount.
Incidentally, officials in the know pointed out that there’s no dearth of funds to finance the scheme, but the delay by the Home Department in crediting the amount in the NRI Affairs’ account has delayed the disbursing of the pension.
Beleaguered retired seafarers and widows have been doing the rounds of the banks since the last two months with the hope of laying their hands on the pension but in vain.
An official told The Goan that though the scheme had lapsed in November last, it has been decided to disburse the pension amount to the beneficiaries from the month of December. In fact, the beneficiaries were entitled to receive a pension for two months -- December and January -- but the delay in crediting the amount has caused a delay in disbursing the pension, sources said.
Retired seafarers and widows have been demanding a permanent pension scheme for the seafaring community, but the Pramod Sawant-led government, which had revived the scheme in June last for a period of six months, has extended the scheme for a period of one year.
In fact, the pension scheme for the retired seafarers had been an issue in the just-concluded assembly election in Velim constituency, the heartland of the seafaring community, with the Congress promising a permanent scheme for seafarers if the party returns to power in 2022.
