MARGAO: The Goa Seamen Association of India (GSAI) has written to the chief minister expressing their disappointment with the government, especially the NRI Department, for not releasing the pension for retired seafarers for the last three months.
The NRI Department was releasing the Goa welfare/pension scheme which was notified in 2012 and came into force in 2013. This scheme was formulated by the former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar for the retired seafarers and widows who have contributed to Goan economy as per their sea service record. However, for the past two years, the retired seafarers & widows have been not getting the pension regularly every month like DSSS and many other schemes.
GSAI Spokesperson Dixon Vaz said that the retired seafarers and widows have not received the pension since October 2019 and “we are entering the third month and still, there is no certainty when they will receive the pension.”
Many retired seamen and widows are fully dependent on this scheme for their daily living but this Christmas the retired seamen and widows have not much to celebrate as they did not receive the pension as yet.
“We have been following with the department on a regular basis but still, there is no concrete answer from the department when will the pension be released. We request you to kindly intervene ASAP and direct the NRI Department to put the things in place once and for all so that the Retired seafarers and widows will not have to run from pillar to post every time to receive the pension,” he said.
More than 80 retired seamen and widows have applied for the pension and are approved since 2017 and still, they did not get the pension yet. The GSAI has requested the NRI Department to release the pension but still, there is no update and retired seamen and widows are yet to get their first pension amount from the date of approval.
