the goan I network
MARGAO
Alice Virginia Alfonso will file a writ petition in the Panjim bench of the Bombay High Court on behalf of the hundreds of beleaguered widows of seafarers who have received notices from the Seafarers’ Welfare Fund Society to stop the monthly ex-gratia relief
by providing one-time settlement of Rs 125000 to the
beneficiaries.
Alice along with members of the Goan Seamen Association of India reiterated the demand that if the seafarers’ society and NUSI insist on closure of the ex-gratia relief, the retired seafarers and the widows should be settled with a one-time settlement amount of Rs five lakh.
Briefing the media, Alice pointed out that the central government and the Shipping Ministry should direct the society to provide a monthly ex-gratia relief of minimum Rs 5000 to each of the retired seafarers and the widows.
“The monthly ex-gratia relief of Rs 200, which the society has been paying over the years is hardly sufficient to meet any expenses. Our husbands had toiled on the ships over the years. Is the ex-gratia relief of Rs 200 a reward for this?” she demanded to know.
GSAI spokesman Dixon Vaz told the media that the Association will soon file the writ petition in the
High Court to stay the decision of the welfare fund society and NUSI to stop the ex-gratia relief.
“We want to know from both NUSI and the welfare fund society the crores of rupees which had come to them from the deductions of the seafarers,” Dixon said, while lamenting that the Central government and the
Shipping Ministry did not take up the cause of the retired seafarers and widows with NUSI and the welfare fund society.
Asserting that the three-month deadline set by the GSAI to continue the ex-gratia scheme by hiking the monthly amount to Rs 5000 has expired, Dixon said the seafarers will now move the High Court to take steps to shut down the NUSI Maritime Academy at Sucaldem-Chinchinim.
“The NUSI Maritime Academy has been making huge money and Goans do not benefit from the facility any more despite the fact that the facility was set up in Goa primarily to help the Goan seafarers and youth making a career in the merchant navy,” he said and added that NUSI has already shut down the NUSI hospital at Cuncolim and its office at Benaulim does not meet the requirements of the seafarers’ community.
