TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: When the Celebrity Century cruise liner calls at the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) on March 29, Goan seafarers working as crew members will not be able to take their near and dear ones aboard the liner or off load their luggage at the port.
The reason is simple: While seafarers all over are allowed to bring their relatives on board the liners, the local port authorities in India deny this facility to the Indian seafarers, leaving the seafarers community agitated.
Taking up cudgels for the seafarers, the Goan Seamen Association of India has demanded that the MPT permit relatives of Goan seamen on cruise liners calling at the MPT on March 29 to April 11. “We fail to understand why only ports in India deny the facility to the crew members to take their close relatives on board the luxury liners,” wondered GSAI President Dixon Vaz.
He said the port authorities in India should address the issue on humanitarian grounds since seafarers are away from their families for months together when on voyage.
A delegation of GSAI on Saturday called on South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar and submitted a representation with a plea to address the grievances of the seafarers
Expressing his solidarity with the seafarers, the South Goa MP immediately called the MPT Chairman, who was on an official visit to Kerala. He later told the media that he would try to resolve the issue concerning the seafarers with MPT Chairman, before raising the issue in Delhi. “I see no reason why relatives of the seafarers are denied the facility to meet them on board the cruise liners if the company has no problem. We will take a call after discussing the matter with the MPT,”
Sawaikar said.
