Amounts for June, July and August already released
PANAJI/MARGAO
The Goa government has cleared the pension scheme for some 2,400-odd retired seafarers after a gap of two years.
The new scheme -- the Goa Welfare/Pension Scheme for Seafarers, 2021 -- has been reintroduced after the old one was discontinued since October 2019.
The Goa NRI Commsionerate is the nodal agency. Seamen who have completed 60 years of age and who were employed on board a ship are eligible and so are those invalidated from sea service on medical grounds before retirement.
Widows of deceased seamen are also eligible on “compassionate grounds” but their annual income from all sources should not exceed Rs 1,20,000.
NRI Commissioner Anthony D’Souza pointed out that of the 2454 eligible beneficiaries, 1851 beneficiaries will get a monthly pension of Rs 500 as they are also drawing DSS Scheme amount of Rs 2,000.
He said around 600 beneficiaries will get Rs 2,500 per month and three beneficiaries will get Rs 1,000 per month. “The pension has already been disbursed for the months of June, July and August,
2021, to 714 beneficiaries who have submitted their life certificates”, he said.
D’Souza has made a fervent plea to the beneficiaries to submit their life certificates so that they start receiving the pension at the earliest.
Commissioner for NRl Affairs Adv Narendra Sawaikar has appealed to all the beneficiaries who have not yet submitted their life certificates to do so at the Office of Commissioner for NRI Affairs, Chamber No 204, Ministerial Complex, Secretariat, Porvorim, either through post or through their Local representatives or in person to enable disbursement of the pension.
Meanwhile, Goan Seamen Association of India the disbursal of the pension for the months of June, July, August has brought a sigh of relief to thousands of beneficiaries after months of agony.
GSAI President Frank Viegas has thanked all the people, including the MLAs, who took up the issue, and in particular the NRI Commissioner and the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, for resolving the long-standing problem of the seafarers community which now comes as a boon and blessing to them in such torrid times.
Frank said he is hopeful and positive that the pension scheme will be made permanent as per the assurance given by the Chief Minister. He said he was also hopeful the CM would look into the arrears to be cleared from October 2019 or at least from January 2021.
GSAI urged the NRI department to streamline the process for new applicants since it is almost three months from the day the scheme has been notified (June 25, 2021) so that they will be benefited
out of it.
The scheme was originally introduced in 2012 by then Chief Minister, the Late Manohar Parrikar, but was discontinued in October 2019.
