MARGAO
Beleaguered retired seafarers and their widows sat on a dharna at the historic Menezes-Lohia Chowk, Assolna to protest over the government’s decision to stop the pension scheme exactly a year ago and to make a fervent plea to the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant-led government to restart their pension scheme immediately.
Elderly and retired seafarers and the widows of seafarers, who have been left high and dry by the government over their pension since October last year, has sent a message loud and clear to the government that they will have no option but to go to the villages to highlight their plight and get their pension restored.
“Tell us within a week’s time over the government’s stand on the pension scheme, or we will go to the villages across the state,” asserted President of Goan Seamen Association of India (GSAI) Frank Viegas.
Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco also descended on the Menezes-Lohia Chowk not only to extend his solidarity with the retired seafarers and widows, but expressing his willingness to participate in any agitation to get back the rightful pension for the seafarers.
“If the government wants to arrest the seafarers, we are ready. Let them arrest me first before they touch the elderly and retired seafarers,” Reginaldo said.
He said if the government has no money to pay the pension for the retired seafarers and widows, the ministers should immediately stop travelling in vehicles at the expense of the taxpayers.
The GSAI President said the seafarers have knocked the doors of the ministers, MLAs and the NRI Commissioner to resolve their problems, but in vain.
“We had called on Salcete’s lone Minister, Filipe Neri Rodrigues, but the problems of the seafarers still remain unresolved,” he said
“Today we have resorted to a non-violent and peaceful protest. In this Covid pandemic, the government requests the people to take care of the elders, but it says it has no money to disburse the pensions for the retired seafarers,” he said, warning that the patience of the seafarers is running out over the issue.
A retired seafarer Edgar Martins said it’s exactly a year since the government had stopped the pension in October last year.
“The minsters are moving in government vehicles. The government has plans to build a new Raj Bhavan, but has no money to pay the pensions of retired seafarers,” he said, while requesting the government not to bring the retired seafarers on the roads.
Former GSAI President Dixon Vaz said the government is only giving dates to restart the pension, but has failed to honour the deadlines to date. Saying that the retired seafarers are only asking the government to return what they had contributed in the past, Dixon reminded seafarers have made immense contribution to Goa’s economy over the years.
The participants took out a rally around the Menezes-Lohia Chowk as part of the protest.
