Team Herald
PANJIM: Rajya Sabha MP Luizinho Faleiro sought to know the progress made by the Union government to alleviate the hardships and difficulties of seafarers and their families and whether the Directorate of Shipping (DG) has prepared any scheme for the seafarers so that they can live a life with honour and dignity after having contributed immensely to country’s economy.
Faleiro also sought to know whether DG Shipping had received any demands from seafarers or their association.
In his reply, Union Minister for Ports and Shipping Sarbananda Sonowal said that the government has taken several measures to ease the hardships faced by the seafarers and that due to continuous reformative and progressive steps taken by the government, the number of Indian seafarers employed this year had reached the level of 2,44,063 on national and international fleet as compared to 1,17,090 in 2014.
The Union government through its organisation such as Seamen Provident Fund Organisation (SPFO) and Seafarers Welfare Fund Society (SWFS) has implemented various schemes for the welfare of seafarers and to ease the hardships faced by them and their families. Both the organisations are working for the welfare of seafarers and their families, the Minister said.
Other schemes implemented are Provident Fund Scheme, Survival Benefit Scheme, Invalidity Benefit Scheme, Maternity Benefit Scheme for female seafarer, the Old Age Benefit Welfare Scheme etc.
For enhancement of skill of the seafarers and to make them more competent, various schemes are also implemented through the Maritime Training Trust (MTT) under the DG Shipping.
Faliero had earlier too raised the issue of plight of seafarers and had urged the government to formulate the scheme to provide financial assistance to retiring seafarers since the existing pension for them was insufficient.
The minister said that the government is very conscious of the need for continuous up-skilling and welfare of the seafarers to alleviate the hardships and difficulties of seafarers and their families. The government has taken various measures from time to time for the welfare of seafarers.
The minister has stated that the government has received representations from some unions/associations including Goan Seamen Association of India.
Minister said that the tonnage under the Indian flag has also reached over 13.6 million tons with 1516 ships under the Indian flag as compared to tonnage of 10.4 million tons with 1213 ships in the year 2014 which led to increase in the number of employment opportunities for seafarers.
