TUESDAY, MAY 07, 2024
Team Herald
MARGAO: Hoping that the government will consider the plea of seafarers’ community, Goan Seamen Association of India (GSAI) once again urged the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to make the Goa Welfare Pension Scheme permanent.
On Thursday, the delegation led by President Frank Viegas along with Gabriel Pinto, Vice-President and Joseph Fernandes, Secretary met the Chief Minister at Panjim at the time of pre-budget consultation meeting and deliberated on the long pending issue.
“There are around 2450 beneficiaries of the scheme at present and other 355 new applicants are waiting for approval besides around a 1000 want to be enrolled,” said Viegas.
"We are aware that the State budget will also be announced shortly and we humbly requested the Chief Minister to make allocations in the budget for our Seafarers community,” added Viegas.
He further stated that as mentioned in their previous correspondence, they pleaded again to make the scheme permanent, to accept new applicants, and to put a scrutiny committee in place regarding the shortage of forms for the improvement and benefit of the Seafarers community.
