The Goan Seamen Association of India today demanded the beach cleaning contract be given to them as their retired seamen and the widows of seamen were willing to take up the job to keep Goan beaches clean on par with beaches abroad.
“Seamen have travelled the world and seen the beaches abroad and how they are maintained and can replicate the same here,” said Dixon Vas the organization spokesman who pointed out that there are nearly 3000 retired seamen and around 1000 widows who could keep the coastline from Pernem to Canacona spick and span.
He said now that Drishti has stopped cleaning the beaches it is better that the government give the job to ethnic Goans who will do a dedicated job and keep the area clean. “We do not need machines to clean the beaches and not even brooms are required,” he said adding that there are indigenous things that can be used for cleanliness.
Dixon said beach cleaning should commence at 7 am and by 9 am the beach should be clean and the cleaning staff move away from the beach. Franklin D’Costa president of the Association said there should be a total ban on drinking on the beaches and added that even while drinking in public there should be some discretion. “In America you can drink beer on the roads only if the container is covered in paper and not drink from exposed containers,” he said.
Dixon announced that the Association will be filing the writ petition very shortly before the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court as they have already served the notice to the Director General of Shipping, NUSI and Seafarer’s Welfare Society regarding the cancellation of ex-gratia. It may be recalled that all retired seamen were served notices that the Rs. 200 paid every month as ex-gratia to them would be stopped from 1 st October 2018 and instead they could opt for a one-time settlement of Rs. 12,500.
However, the Association decided to challenge this on grounds that NUSI who is handling the Seafarer’s Welfare Society funds has plenty of funds to continue the scheme and announced that they would move the courts over the matter.
NUSI Condemned: The Association also condemned the attitude of NUSI with regards to the death of a seaman from Cuncolim Suizon Rodrigues who died in an accident and whose body arrived in
Goa today 25 days after the death. “Nobody from NUSI even called up the family member even though Suizon is a member of NUSI paying his fees regularly and the family members had to learn about his death through the social media as even the government authorities failed to inform them,” said Dixon.
