Goa Congress Chief Girish Chodankar has urged the Prime Minister and Chief Minister of Goa not to disown Goan Seafarers and other Goans currently working in various countries that are holding Portuguese passports in these critical times of COVID-19 -pandemic across the globe. Chodankar said that most of these ‘sons of the soil’ opted for Portuguese passports with a sole intention of getting jobs in European countries, but they always maintained ties with the motherland Goa. "They have in a way supported Goan economy with foreign exchange earnings. Their families survive on the hard earned money of these seafarers, some of whom are Portuguese passport holders" he said. He further stated that as the Union Home Ministry has issued Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for disembarking Seafarers in India, it is important that the State government must ensure that they are not kept waiting at sea and that the necessary protocol is put in place for their disembarking immediately on arrival.