the goan I network
PANAJI
Widely slammed by the Opposition parties and others for reportedly coercing returning Goan seafarers into paid quarantine facilities, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said that shipping companies were “willingly” coming forward to pay.
“The Goa government is not forcing shipping firms or their agents to pay for quarantine facilities of seafarers. They are willingly paying for their employees,” Sawant said.
He also said, only one hotel in the State has offered its premises and services on a pro bono basis.
The State’s tourism department on Friday also sent out an appeal to hoteliers and companies in the hospitality sector to come forward and offer their properties for use as as free quarantine centres.
The appeal issued by the department said, their facilities will be provided to Goans returning from wherever they are for being quarantined and will not be charged.
Thousands of Goan seafarers and other expats have expressed their willingness to return amidst the chaos and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic globally.
The first batch of 62 seafarers who returned earlier this week are kept at a hotel in the capital under ‘paid quarantine’. The government claimed the employer shipping company and not the individual seafarer was footing the bill.
Negotiations over the payments between the State administration and the ship agents was reportedly the cause of delay in ferrying the seafarers from Mumbai leading to severe criticism of the government by Opposition parties and leaders of the seafarer community in the State.
Crew from two other ships - - Karnika and Angriya - - is also reportedly not signing off due to disagreement over payments for the quarantine facilities for the seafarers in the State.
Sawant however claimed that it is not the case and agents of these two ships are in negotiations with DG Shipping for use of the vessels to ferry seafarers who want to return from abroad.
