MARGAO
Two days after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced a permanent scheme for retired seafarers, representatives of seafarers have called for streamlining of the pension scheme for retired seafarers and widows.
While the Chief Minister's announcement has rung in good news for around 2,400 beneficiaries, hundreds of applications for pension by retired seafarers and widows are pending at the office of the NRI Affairs.
Addressing the media, Goan Seamen Association of India (GSAI) president Frank Viegas on Friday underscored the need to streamline the pension scheme for retired seafarers and widows on utmost priority.
Welcoming the announcement to make the pension scheme for seafarers permanent, the GSAI president said the seafaring community acknowledges the decision taken by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to make the pension scheme permanent.
“We are grateful to the Chief Minister for his decision to make the scheme permanent. The seafaring community is happy over the decision,” he said.
Frank, however, has called for efforts to streamline the scheme by extending benefits of the scheme to all retired seafarers and widows of seafarers.
“We have information that applications submitted for the pension scheme in 2018 are all pending for want of action. The government should immediately put the scrutiny panel in place to scrutinize the applications put forth by the retired seafarers and the widows," he said.
He added: “We have come across instances where no forms are made available for eligible seafarers and the widows to apply for the pension scheme.”
While expressing their gratitude to the MLAs, including Opposition Leader Yuri Alemao, Goa Forward Party chief MLA Vijai Sardesai, AAP MLA Venzy Viegas, Independent MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, Congress MLA Altone D’Costa, Congress-turned-BJP MLA Delilah Lobo for their support extended to the seafarer community, the GSAI president further thanked Union Minister Shripad Naik and NRI Commissioner Narendra Sawaikar for taking up the issue of seafarers with the government.
To a question, Frank pointed out that around 2,400 retired seafarers and widows are presently getting the benefit of the pension scheme.
The scheme should be streamlined to cater to the requirements of around 2,000 retired seafarers and widows who are now eligible for the pension scheme.
