MARGAO
Will retired Goan seafarers and widows finally find a provision in the ensuing Budget estimates to be tabled in the Goa Legislative Assembly to make pension scheme for seafarers permanent?
During the ongoing pre-budget consultation exercise initiated by the government, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had a meeting with a delegation of the Goan Seamen Association of India committee members President Frank Viegas, Vice President Gabriel Pinto and Secretary Joseph Fernandes.
While the GSAI insisted on making the pension scheme for seafarers and widows permanent, more so after his announcements in the last two Assembly sessions, the Chief Minister is reported to have assured to consider the demands put forth by the association regarding the Goa welfare pension scheme for seafarers.
GSAI President Franky Viegas said though everyone is pleased with the continuation of the Goa welfare pension scheme for seafarers, the Seafarer community still have to knock on the doors again and again to ensure that the pension scheme is made permanent. “We are aware that the State budget will also be announced shortly, and we have humbly requested to make allocations in the budget for our Seafarers community for future provisions so that this scheme will be made permanent under his leadership and especially for those who depend on it solely”, he said.
He added: “As mentioned in our previous correspondence, we pleaded again with the Chief Minister to make the scheme permanent, to accept new applicants, and to put a scrutiny committee in place regarding the shortage of forms for the improvement and benefit of the Seafarers community and we are hopeful as always that he will do the needful”.
Around 2450 retired seafarers and widows are currently beneficiaries of the pension scheme. However, around new applicants who have applied in the year 2018 to date, around 355 applicants to be precise, are still waiting for approval. Besides, there’s a shortage of forms to apply for the pension scheme, with Viegas saying the Chief Minister has assured the delegation to make the forms available online for the benefit of 1000 retired seafarers and widows.
The seafarers have been waging a sustained struggle over the last three years, first demanding that the government revive the pension scheme after it met a sudden death and later calling upon incumbent Sawant to make the scheme permanent.
