MARGAO
The new Pension scheme for seafarers and widows has been finally notified by the Goa government.
However, contrary to expectations that the scheme will be made permanent in view of the promises made by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on the floor of the House, the scheme will remain in force only for a period of three years.
Incidentally, the previous pension scheme for retired seafarers and widows introduced by former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar was in force for a period of five years before it lapsed in October 2019.
The scheme was later revived in June 2021 for a period of six months by Sawant, followed by extensions.
Director, NRI Affairs Anthony D’Souza confirmed to The Goan that the government has notified the pension scheme for the retired seafarers and widows. He admitted that the pension scheme will remain in force for a period of three years.
D’Souza, however, hastened to add that the notification of the pension scheme will help in disbursing the pension for the retired seafarers and widows for the month of June. That’s not all. He said the new pension scheme will pave way for the NRI Affairs office to process the pending and new applications received from retired seafarers and widows for benefits under the scheme.
“A panel will be set up to process and scrutinize the pending as well as the new applications for pension. With the new pension scheme 2023 now been notified, the work on scrutinizing the pending and new applications for pension will be set in motion by setting up the scrutinizing committee”, he said.
To a question, D’Souza said the office of NRI Affairs have adequate funds at its disposal to disburse the pension of the month of June or may be July, adding that the office will seek funds from the government for disbursal of pension for the next 10 months up to March 2024.
Commenting on the government’s decision to notify the scheme only for three years, seaman Dixon Vaz, the Sarpanch of the village Panchayat of Cavelossim, said he is certainly not pleased as CM had promised to come out with a permanent scheme.
Vaz said Sawant should have honoured his promise to make the pension scheme permanent.
“I fail to understand what stops the government from coming out with a permanent scheme for the retired seafarers. Perhaps this scheme is the only scheme which is not permanent in the State and I do not know why this is done when seafarers community contributed in economic development of the State”, he said.
Meanwhile, Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas said the government has finally notified the scheme, saying new seafarers can now join this scheme up to a maximum of 3,000 beneficiaries.
Venzy said he would pursue with the government to make the scheme perpetual & permanent instead of just three years.
