Team Herald
PORVORIM: The State Legislative Assembly on Friday unanimously passed the private member resolution to increase the pension received by retired Goan Seamen.
However, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has said that the increase of pension would only be done after an evaluation.
Leader of opposition Chandrakant Kavalekar had moved a private member resolution that pension received by retired Goan seamen be increased to Rs 5000 per month, in view of the tremendous hardships/sacrifices done by them, working in tough and dangerous situations and earning foreign exchange for the country thus giving boost to the economy.
Speaking on the resolution, Kavalekar demanded that the pension should be increased from Rs 2500 to Rs 5000 per month.
Similarly, Velim MLA Filipe Neri Rodrigues said that one person from the seafarers’ association should be a member of NRI commissioner.
Further the Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro also demanded that the National Union of Seafarers’ of India (NUSI) training facility and NUSI hospital should be taken over by the government, which is closed.
“The NUSI training facility and NUSI hospital should be taken over by the state government, which is now closed. The money belongs to the seafarers and I believe the office of NUSI was raided by the CBI. Today I met the association of seamen and they told me to support the resolution in the house”
Meanwhile, replying to the private member resolution Parrikar said that NRI commissioner Milind Naik has been asked to look into the issues. “We will increase the pension. But I will not give any promise,” he added.
