MARGAO: Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco has written to the Chief Minister and relevant authorities, Union Ministry of Shipping and Civil Aviation to keep all the facilities such as rapid testing/swab test and quarantine ready for the Goan seafarers on disembarkation.
The Congress MLA in his letter attracted the attention of the authorities to the recent Union Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) approval for repatriation of 7,000 plus seafarers, who have been stranded for the past two months on account of lockdown imposed due to COVID-19 pandemic.
“I request all the concerned authorities to make the arrival and disembarking of the Goan seafarers to their home State a pleasant and a quick experience and not a cumbersome and delayed one as recently witnessed in the recent disembarking of the seafarers from cruise liners ‘Marella’ ‘Discovery’, ‘Angriya’ and ‘Karnika’,” he stated.
“It is being given to understand that the cruise line companies are ready to bring the Goan seafarers by chartered flights and by cruise ships in particular. Many cruise ships have already planned Mormugao Port Trust as their port of call. On behalf of the Goan seafarers and their families, I kindly, request your good selves to keep all the post landing screening/disembarking facilities ready for the Goan seafarers who will soon arrive at Dabolim Airport and also disembark at MPT,” Reginaldo requested.
“Let us please avoid the horrible and unpleasant experience undergone by our seafarers on the cruise liners who had to wait for more than eight weeks in the Indian waters before they were finally given permission for disembarkation,” Reginaldo pointed out.
