the goan I network
MARGAO
Beleaguered Goan seafarers knocked the doors of Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma on Friday to arrange a meeting with the Director of Shipping and other officials on the ex-gratia issue as Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has headed to the US for further treatment.
A delegation of Goan Seamen Association of India (GSAI), which called on the NRI Director Anthony D’Souza was told that no decision can be taken on convening a joint meeting with the government and DG Shipping officials till the Chief Minister returns home from the US.
However, GSAI spokesperson Dixon Vaz along with the NRI Director called on the Chief Secretary Dharmandra and impressed upon him the need to call for a joint meeting with the Director of Shipping at the earliest as the deadline to receive the ex-gratia final settlement expires on September 30 this year.
Dixon told The Goan that the Chief Secretary was kind enough to direct the NRI Director to ask Transport Minister Sudin Dhavalikar take up with the issue with the Shipping officials. He said the NRI Director was told to arrange a meeting with the Director of Shipping at the earliest in the State to discuss the issues concerning the seafarers.
“We approached the Chief Secretary since the deadline set by the Seafarers Welfare Fund Society to accept the lumpsum ex-gratia relief amounting to Rs 12,500 expires on September 30. Since the Chief Minister is back to the USA, we called on the Chief Secretary and urged him to take up the matter in absence of CM so that the outcome of the meeting can be conveyed to the seafarers,” Dixon said adding that the Chief Secretary has said that Transport Minister Sudin Dhavalikar will chair the meeting with the assistance from the NRI Director.
Replying to a question, Dixon said the GSAI and other seafarers are waiting for the outcome of the proposed meeting with the Shipping officials on the issue.
“Around 900 seafarers have already signed a petition rejecting the proposal of the Seafarers Welfare Fund Society to wind up the monthly ex-gratia relief by paying a lumpsum amount of Rs 12,500,” Dixon said, adding that seafarers
will file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court for relief.
He also warned that GSAI will launch an agitation against NUSI if their demand for the scrapping of the decision to wind up the ex-gratia relief is not considered immediately.
