MARGAO
Why is the pension scheme for seafarers a temporary one, notified only for six month period while other social welfare schemes have no such provision restricting the period of implementation, forcing the seafarers community to knock the government doors again and again for its revival?
What has the Congress-turned-BJP MLAs, including Salcete lone Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias and Nuvem MLA Wilfred D’Sa and not to mention government supporting partner NCP MLA Churchill Alemao, have to say on the Goa Welfare/Pension scheme for Seafarers, 2021.
And, why is the Opposition Congress, including Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat and Goa Forward headed by Vijai Sardesai not voiced its strong protest against the government’s decision to revive the pension scheme for seafarers, but for a six month period, when the seafarers and their families have been the voter base of their parties over the years?
These and other questions have come to the fore as the Seafarers pension scheme, revived by the BJP government with effect from June 2021, after it got lapsed for reasons best known to the same government in 2019, will remain in force up to November, 2021.
When the pension scheme for the seafarers and widows was first introduced by former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar, many thought that the scheme has come to stay, bringing smiles on the faces of retired seafarers and widows. Realization, however, later dawned on the seafarer community in October 2019 that seafarers pension scheme is not a permanent scheme like many a social welfare scheme after the government stopped disbursing pension.
After waging a struggle for a year and half, the government paid heed to the voices of the beleaguered seafarers on Seafarers Day on June 25 last, with the scheme coming into effect from June 1, but with a provision that curtains will come down on the scheme on November 30, 2021.
Many say no government will dare to discontinue the scheme on the eve of the 2022 Assembly election, and will extend the scheme by another six months, but seafarers have a question or two for Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Ministers, MLAs, leaders of political parties “ why is the pension scheme for retired seafarers not a permanent one unlike other welfare schemes.
Seafarers under the banner of Goan Seamen Association of India has made letters to Deputy chief minister Chandrakant Babu Kavlekar, Minister for WRD Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Leader of opposition Digambar Kamat, MLA VijaiS ardesai, MLA Aleixo Reginaldo and MLA Churchill Alemao to take it to its logical conclusion and bring it to the attention of the chief minister so the Goa welfare pension scheme for seafarers be made permanent.
GSAI President Frank Viegas said the seafarers have told the elected representative to clear the arrears and not to harass the Seafarers community to knock the doors of the government again and again since most of the beneficiaries are also the senior citizens who finds it difficult to move out and especially at a time of Covid-19 Pandemic. “We have made a humble plea to the MLA to kindly take the matter with the chief minister so that due recognition is given to the Seafarers”, he said.
Frank further said the it’s almost two months now the Seafarers and Widows have been awaiting for the release of the pension amount from NRI department, which is been delayed. “Most of the beneficiaries have submitted their life certificate and bank details to their concerned MLA and also in the GSAI office and forwarded to the NRI department. The new beneficiaries, mostly above 60 years, yrs have to run from pillar to post to do the formalities to obtain various certificates so they are eligible and not missed out due to expiry date of the scheme which is hardly four months left”, he added.
