Indian seafarers, especially Goan seafarers, congratulate Dr A Sampath MP of CPI from Kerala for raising Indian seafarers’ pension issue in the parliament. He rightly pointed out and brought to the notice of the shipping minister who is known as Minister of Surface Transport Nitin Gadkari. He said our Indian seafarers who are retired after attaining the age of 60 yrs were paid Rs 200 per month as seamen pension and that too not every month but after every six months and that also has been stopped from June 30, 2018 promising a lump sum amount of Rs 12,500 once for all. But Nitin Gadkari replied saying that he cannot do anything.
He further advised Indian seamen to contribute and prepare their own pension under different schemes and to get this done. He said there is an organisation whose headquarters are in Goa. This was an unexpected and unwelcome answer from our shipping minister. He did not mention anything about seamen welfare fund society, nor NUSI, National union seafarers on India which is affiliated to ITF, Internal transport federation whose branches are there spread all over the world. And which organisation is our minister of shipping and surface transport referring to, of which headquarters he said are in Goa. National union seafarers of India head office is in Mumbai.
Does Nitin Gadkari know that Indian seafarers are the holders of CDC, continuous discharge Certificate, a document issued by Ministry of Shipping and Surface Transport? Does he know that CDC is almost equivalent to Indian passport? Since Indian seafarers are holders of Indian CDC issued by Ministry of Shipping and Surface Transport they are also liable for pension and our Central ministry instead of having a discussion with Seamen Welfare Fund Society and NUSI, Gadkari is saying he cannot do anything? If NUSI and Seamen Welfare Fund Society cannot give Indian seafarers pension then the Central government should consider the Indian Seamen pension issue and get it solved because Indian seafarers are holders of CDC, a document issued by the Ministry of Shipping Surface Transport and if Nitin Gadkari cannot pursue this problem at least our two MPs from Goa should get this done for Indian seafarers. Otherwise retired seafarers will be on the roads.
