Team Herald
MARGAO: Former president of Goa Seafarers Association of India Dixon Vaz has lamented that as the government failed to get an appointment with the Shipping Minister to discuss their issues it conveniently extended the licenses issued to offshore casinos in the State and reiterated that moving the courts was the right decision.
He pointed out that the last date given to seafarers to opt for the one time settlement in lieu of the monthly Rs 200 being paid to them as ex-gratia was September 30, 2018, the deadline has elapsed. The one time settlement offered by Seafarers Welfare Fund Society was Rs 12,500 only.
The Goa Seafarers’ Association of India that had taken up this matter with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar along with the issue of making SSC compulsory for obtaining Indian CDC, which was a problem, as many seafarers have been working on board the ship for years even though they had not completed SSC.
Manohar Parrikar’s illness upset all plans and the issue of the seafarers was not taken up with the Shipping Minister and continues to hang fire, said Dixon while conceding that Parrikar has not been able to attend to the matter due to his illness and wondered why nobody else from the government could not take up the matter.
“It appears that the government is not bothered about the problems faced by the seafarers as nobody has shown any interest to take up our matter with the Central government,” he said and pointing out that governance is a continuous process.
He appeared upset over the fact that the licences to casinos were extended by Parrikar signing the necessary documents from the hospital bed and wondered why he could not contact the Shipping Minister.
Meanwhile, the seafarers have already filed a petition before the Calcutta High Court against the Seafarers Welfare Fund Trust’s move to stop the ex-gratia payment and the petition has been admitted with the hearing scheduled next week.
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Extension to casinos smacks of hypocrisy: AAAAG
PANJIM: Aam Aurat Admi Against Gambling (AAAAG) on Monday raised strong objections to the government’s decision to grant a further six-month extension to offshore casinos to continue their operations in River Mandovi.
“The tokenism of closing casinos on October 2 and then extending licenses to operate for more days smacks of hypocrisy. On the 150th Gandhi Jayanti, the most appropriate step should have been Clean Goa of Casinos,” AAAAG convenor Sabina Martins said.
She said that time and again the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had assured that the casinos would be removed, but till date the Chief Minister has not honoured his commitment and instead allowed casinos to proliferate.
“Extension after extension given to the casinos is a mockery which shows total disrespect of people’s concerns. While the government has been quick to take decisions in favour of casinos, the same speed is not seen when it comes to protection of the interests of locals. Casino propelled destitution and crimes have risen,” Martins said.
