the goan I network
MARGAO
Goan retired seafarers and widows may soon find themselves at the receiving end for a different reason on the question of monthly pension amounting to Rs 2500.
The Goa Welfare/Pension scheme for Seafarers run by the office of the Commissioner for NRI Affairs is no more in force and the Social Welfare Department is yet to get the government sanction to continue the pension for the retired seafarers and widows.
In fact, after the Goa Welfare/Pension Scheme for Seafarers, a scheme floated by former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, ended on October 3 last, the retired seafarers and widows are facing an uncertain future regards the regular monthly pension.
Reason: After discontinuing the scheme from October 4 last as per the notification, the office of the Commissioner for NRI has handed over the pension file to the Department of Social Welfare to continue to disburse the pension to retired seafarers and widows since the department is handling a host of other social welfare schemes, including the Dayanand Social Secuirty Scheme, etc.
Inquiries by ‘The Goan’ have revealed that while the office of NRI Commissioner has forwarded the file to the Social Welfare Department, sources in the know say it may take time for the integration of the seafarers scheme with the DSSS scheme.
The seafarers may not receive pension for the months of November, December and even January for the simple reason that the file, which was received by the Social Welfare Department only recently, has still not gone to the government for the financial sanction to run the scheme.
If Social Welfare officials are to be believed, it will indeed take some time to integrate the seafarers scheme with the DSSS scheme in view of the financial implications to the tune of around Rs three crore annually. “Right now, the file is being processed by officials of the Social Welfare Department before it is put up to the government for the financial sanction to fund the scheme. All this will definitely take some time before the retired
