TEAM HERALD

teamherald@herald-goa.com

MARGAO: Seafarers have requested the Commissioner of NRI Affairs to exempt those drawing the DSSS pension from complying with the time consuming process of producing residence certificates and swearing affidavits for pension under the Seafarers pension scheme.

President of Goan Retired Seamen Welfare Association, Afron Dias said the retired seamen and widows eligible to apply for the Seafarers pension scheme are made to comply with the procedure, including residence certificates, affidavits, income certificates. 

He pointed out that seamen drawing the DSS pension have already complied with this procedure and added that those applying for the pension scheme should be exempted from following the entire procedure all over again. 

“We would suggest to the NRI Commissioner to consider our request since majority of the applicants for the seafarers pension scheme are elderly people”, he said.

The office of the NRI Commissioner was last week requested by the Goan Seamen Association of India to consider opening a centre in Margao for the benefit of the retired seafarers and widows to submit their application forms.

NRI Commissioner, Dr Wilfred Mesquita has promised to discuss the matter with the NRI officials before taking a decision.