MARGAO
The short title, commencement and duration of the scheme for the retired seafarers and widows read as follows: The scheme shall be called the Goa Welfare/Pension Scheme for Seafarers, 2021, and it shall be deemed to have come into force on June 1, 2021, and remain in force up to November 30, 2021.
A little over 1000 of the total 2400 beneficiaries, including retired seafarers and widows, have since availed benefits of the pension scheme. They, however, keep their fingers crossed whether they would stop receiving the pension from December or whether the government would work out a permanent scheme for them like other social welfare schemes in force in the state.
Their anxiety is not totally unfounded given that they had a bitter experience with the Goa government’s pension scheme for seafarers and widows introduced by former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar that was discontinued in October 2019 and reintroduced again only in June 2021.
When The Goan sought to find out from the office of the NRI Commissioner the fate of the Goa Welfare/Pension Scheme for Seafarers 2021 after November 2021 since the scheme is basically meant for a six months period, sources said the office has forwarded the file to the government for the extension of the scheme.
Doubts and fears, however, persist amongst the beneficiaries whether the government would simply extend the validity of the scheme for a further period of six months or notify a permanent scheme for the seafarers.
“We have already moved the file to the government for extension of the scheme. The ball lies in the government’s court whether to extend the scheme for another six months or go for a permanent pension scheme for the seafarers,” the official said.
Retired seafarers and seamen organizations have been demanding a permanent scheme for the retired seafarers and widows so that this section of society need not knock on the doors of the government every six months for extension of the scheme.
Petitions have been made in the recent past to the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and MLAs, especially from Salcete, to ensure that the government rolls out a permanent scheme for the seafarers and widows.
Inquiries by The Goan have revealed that money is not an issue to fund the scheme given that its financial implications every month work out to around Rs 25 lakh.
Says President of Goan Seamen Association of India, Frank Viegas: “GSAI has urged Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and NRI Commissioner Narendra Sawaikar to make the scheme permanent. The pension scheme has been a financial support to the retired seamen and widows, who have contributed to the growth of our economy and the development of the state. If the scheme continues for lifelong, the retired seamen and widows will be grateful to the Goa government for supporting them in their hard times”.
He added: “A permanent scheme will be a blessing on the state exchequer and not a burden since they are also our senior citizens, who are mostly dependent on it. We had petitioned the Chief Minister in the past to make the scheme permanent”.
Frank said since the notification was issued for six months only, from June 1 to November 30, 2021, it is indeed a matter of concern for the retired seafarers and widows.
