the goan I network
MARGAO
Hazard a guess on the status of the seafarers’ pension, which was discontinued in October last year?
The Office of Commissioner, NRI Affairs, had sent the file to the Department of Social Welfare to take over the seafarers’ pension scheme around six months now. The file has returned to the NRI office with the Social Welfare department saying the scheme does not fit into the DSSY scheme.
The good news is that the seafarers and widows, numbering around 2545, will start receiving pension from the NRI office, beginning from the current month of April for six months. No government official, however, was ready to shed light on the question whether the retired seafarers and the widows will receive the pension arrears for six months from October, 2019 to March 2020.
Sources in the know told The Goan that the Director NRI Affairs Anthony D’Souza, who has been appointed nodal officer, called the file from the Social Welfare department after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant demanded its status.
Sources said the pension file was stuck in the office of the Social Welfare after officials raised queries on the scheme criteria.
Given that the beneficiaries of the scheme had to go without the monthly pension of Rs 2500, it has now been decided that it will now be operated by the Home Department and the NRI Affairs has been appointed as the disbursement authority.
When The Goan contacted Director NRI Affairs Anthony D’Souza, he said the scheme will be re-implemented by the department, beginning from April for a period of six months. He, however, said it is for the government to take a call on the payment of pension arrears for the retired seafarers and widows since the time the pension scheme had ended in October last year.
The pension scheme for the retired seafarers and the widows was implemented during the tenure of former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar after the BJP stormed back to power after the 2012 Assembly election since they were being paid a monthly exgratia relief of only Rs 200 a month.
While retired seafarer and a widow were paid a monthly pension of Rs 2500,
those drawing the DSSS pension were entitled to only Rs 500 a month.
