MARGAO
Come Wednesday, the office of the NRI Affairs will start crediting the pension of the retired seafarers and widows to ensure the beneficiaries get their pension before Seafarers Day celebrated every year on June 25.
The Goan understands that the NRI Affairs have finally received the pension fund amounting to Rs 1.25 crore on Tuesday. Commissioner NRI Affairs Narendra Sawaikar has left instructions to the office to start crediting the pension amount in the account of the beneficiaries from Wednesday.
Director of NRI Affairs Anthony D’Souza informed that it normally takes three days for the bank to credit the pension amount into the accounts, exuding confidence that the beneficiaries should receive the amount in their accounts before June 25.
The Director of NRI Affairs further informed that the beneficiaries will get the pension for a period of six months, right from December 2021 since the government had renewed the pension scheme.
To a question, D’Souza pointed out that after the pension is credited into the accounts of the beneficiaries, his office will take up the work of enrollment of new beneficiaries under the seafarers' scheme.
“My office had been in receipt of new applications for enrollment of retired seafarers and widows under the pension scheme. Once the work of crediting the pension amount is completed, the work of enrollment of new beneficiaries will be taken by immediately,” he said.
To another question, D’Souza said whether the pension scheme for seafarers becomes permanent or not, will depend on the government.
“Right now, the government has extended the scheme from December last year,” he said.
Sources in the know said that the office of NRI Affairs has prepared the file to make the pension scheme for the seafarers permanent, and will be forwarded to the government for a decision.
The pension scheme for the retired seafarers and widows was unveiled by former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar. The scheme, however, was discontinued in October 2019 for reasons best known to the government. The scheme was subsequently revived in early 2021 and was in force till November last year.
Organizations representing the seafarers, including the Goan Seamen Association of India had been demanding with the government to resolve the issues plaguing the scheme and also make the scheme permanent.
