Goa Welfare Pension Scheme due to expire, seamen pin hopes on Chief Minister

MARGAO: The Goa Welfare Pension Scheme for seafarers is due to expire within a few days and there is still no sign of the government continuing with the scheme or making it permanent. 

At the same time hundreds of retired seafarers and widows are in a fix as they have not received any amount for the last two months. 

However, Director of NRI Affairs Anthony D’Souza informed that both the files are being processed. 

Speaking to Herald on Monday, several seafarers said they are waiting for Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to make announcements pertaining to the scheme as it is due to expire on November 30. With the Goan Seamen Association of India (GSAI) demanding that the scheme be made permanent, several current MLAs have supported and voiced their concern in the Goa Legislative Assembly and through various sources.

“The GSAI has time and again followed up and reminded the concerned authorities so that our efforts don’t go in vain due to negligence or reasons best known to them,” said Frank Viegas GSAI President. 

He said GSAI is pinning hopes on the Chief Minister for once and for all he will resolve this issue by making the scheme permanent in the interest of the seafarer community.

“Beleaguered retired seafarers and widows have not received their monthly pension for the last two months,” he informed. 

Frank said since the NRI Department issued new forms to applicants, the seafarers who have submitted the forms with all the requirements have kept their fingers crossed as no scrutiny of the forms has been done yet and there is also a shortage of forms.

Reacting to the issue, the Director NRI Affairs told Herald that the file pertaining to the welfare scheme is under submission by the Under Secretary-Home. 

“It is being done,” he added. 

The Director also said the due amount of the last two months will be disbursed at the earliest, as the file is being processed. 

It is pertinent to note that seafarers’ community in their continuous efforts has been demanding that the welfare scheme be made permanent, but till date the government failed to fulfil their demands.