PANJIM: The Goa Forward Party (GFP) has accused the Goa government of lying to its citizens that Goan seafarers were tested for COVID-19, at Mumbai port.
“Utter falsehood and fabrication! IF no samples were taken from Goan seafarers on Karnika, how can they test negative? Why are Goemkars being told fake stories and bogus statements every day? Why this ungodly need to declare all’s well? What do you gain by this rank of dishonesty?” the party said in a tweet on Sunday.
Party president Vijai Sardesai claimed that no Goan seafarers are tested on Karnika. In a tweet late Saturday night, the ex-deputy CM quoted ‘reliable sources’ that seafarers from 10 States excluding Goa were told to standby on Karnika in the noon as PHO would board to take samples. “PHO boarded post lunch but as management told to abort, left vessel completing only 42 samples. No Goan seafarers’ sample was taken,” he said.
The party president has nonetheless wished that all reports should be negative and seafarers be safe.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday had said that 66 Goan seafarers, who disembarked from Marella Discovery, were tested negative for COVID-19 while reports of seafarers from Karnika and Angriya are awaited. The tests, he said, were conducted in Mumbai where the ships docked. A total of 93 Goan crew on Karnika and 23 on Angriya are still on board.
The 66 Goan crew members were likely to move by road to Goa on Sunday. The government had informed that their employer will keep the crew in a paid quarantine in Goa, at their own cost. Similar process would be followed for other vessels – Karnika and Angriya.
The State Executive Committee (SEC) on Saturday decided to appoint PS Reddy, Secretary (Ports) to coordinate and monitor all decisions related to seafarers on behalf of the SEC. Anthony de Souza, Joint Secretary, Revenue shall continue to function as Nodal Officer and he will report to Reddy as PHO would board to take samples. “PHO boarded post lunch but as management told to abort, left vessel completing only 42 samples. No Goan seafarers’ sample was taken,” he said.
The government had earlier faced the heat for delaying to bring back Goan seafarers, whereas CM Sawant defended that it was decision of the Centre. On April 23, CM said that sign off of seafarers on Marella had started at Mumbai port and all the Goan crew on the three vessels will be brought to Goa in accordance with the protocol/SOP of the Government of India.
