MARGAO
Salcete’s Cong-turned-BJP MLAs, including lone Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Cleofacio Dias and Wilfred D’Sa, besides supporting partner, NCP MLA Churchill Alemao will have to grapple with a question from the seafaring community and their families “ when will the government roll out a mechanism to vaccinate the seafarers?
This question has taken centre stage as neither has the planned vaccination at the MPT begun nor has the government unveiled any plan of action for the vaccination of the seafaring community.
Salcete’s countryside is home for thousands of seafarers and their families. Majority of the seafarers have been rendered unemployed after the shipping industry, including the cruise line sector, went through the worst crisis in recent years.
While the industry is now slowly opening up, especially the cargo sector, the mandatory vaccination of seafarers insisted by most of the shipping companies has put the seafaring community in a fix. For, while they cannot hope to join ships sans the anti-Covid jab, the government is yet to roll out the vaccination programme for seafarers, who are still be declared as frontline workers a la the pharmaceutical workers.
Salcete’s lone minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues was unavailable for comment, but his BJP counterparts from neigbouring Cuncolim and Nuvem are of the opinion that the seafaring community should be accorded priority for Covid vaccination.
Says Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias: “Just three days ago, I had taken up the issue of vaccination of the seafarers with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. I explained to him that the seafarers, who have been left unemployed for a year now, can all join ships at the earliest if they get the anti-Covid dose”.
The Cuncolim MLA said the Chief Minister is of the opinion that the seafarers will get the dose once the vaccines ordered by the government arrive in the state. “Let us wait for the early arrival of the vaccines so that the seafarers get the dose”, he added.
Nuvem MLA Wilfred D’Sa pointed out that vaccination of the seafarers is important for the reason they can all go back to work. The Nuvem MLA said he would discuss the matter with other MLAs before a delegation calls on the Chief Minister for early vaccination of the seafarers.
NCP MLA Churchill Alemao, who is supporting the BJP government, said he has explained to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant why it’s important to roll out the vaccination programme for the seafarers. “I have also requested the CM to come out with a programme for people working abroad, including UK and the Gulf countries”, he said.
The government, however, is yet to speak its mind on the vaccination programme for the seafarers. It’s not clear whether the government is in touch with MPT which has been designated as a vaccination centre for the seafarers. And, neither it is clear if the government has any plan to treat seafarers as frontline workers.
Hearing adjourned, govt urged not
wait till next date for vaccine prog
MARGAO: With the High Court adjourning hearing of the petition to June 10, Merchant Navy Capt Wenzy Viegas has urged the government not to wait for the High Court hearing, but roll out the vaccination drive for the seafarers on priority.
Wenzy told the media on Friday that the government did not file a reply to his petition seeking declaration of seafarers as frontline workers and prioritize vaccination for the seafarers in the age group of 18-44 years.
“Since my petition will come up for hearing on June 10, I expect the government not to wait till that time to work out a vaccination programme for the seafarers, but to start the exercise immediately”, he said.
Wenzy stated that the Government of India has promulgated the Essential Service Maintenance Act 1968, in which the definition of Essential Services means any railway service or transport service for carriage of passengers or goods by land, water or air with respect to which Parliament has the powers to make law. “As such shipping services are already defined as essential service in India as per DGS circular No 37 dated 21/12/2020. Therefore it requests that seafarers get a prioritised channel for vaccination as accorded to all frontline workers”, he said.
"Give us a quota for the vaccine at MPT for age 18-45 to seafarers who are in compliance with DG circular No-10 / SOP. For generation of sign-on certificate for priority vaccination of seafarer and Include seafarers as frontline workers same as how Kerala government has declared”, Wenzy said.
He said the states of Kerala and Maharashtra has started vaccination of seafarers based on the DG shipping circular issued mid-May.
Plan special Tika Utsav
for seamen: Panchayat
MARGAO: The Chinchinim village panchayat has urged the government to plan a special Tika Utsav for the benefit of the seafarers and also declare them as front line workers.
Saying that the Chinchinim-Deussua village has a large seafarers population, the resolution passed by the Panchayat body states that most of the seafarers had returned home last year after much delay. “Now, they are facing another problem, delay in vaccination under the age of 18-44 year category. Unless the seafarers are vaccinated, they will not be able to resume their duty and earn their living since unemployed for more than a year and above”, the resolution tabled by deputySarpanch Valentino Barretto and seconded by John Pereira stated.
The resolution will be forwarded to the Chief Minister, Health Minister, Water Resources department Minister and NRI Commissioner and the health secretary.
