the goan I network
MARGAO
Does the Goa government have any action plan in place to ensure the safe return of the thousands of Goan seafarers stuck on cruise liners docked at the ports in USA and Europe?
A question also being raised in seafarers’ circles is whether the government has identified any place to quarantine these persons once they land at the airport.
While the exact number of seafarers working on the cruise liners is not available, with the Shipping Ministry now gathering details from agents of the exact number, rough estimates have pegged the number of Goan seafarers working on the cruise liners alone is over 3000. Commissioner, NRI Affairs, Adv Narendra Sawaikar has said that the government is aware of the situation and is in touch with the embassies of USA and Italy since Goan seafarers are holed up at the ports in these countries, even as Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao has dashed off a letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to mitigate the pain and sufferings of the seafarers and their families. He said airline and port restrictions in most of the countries have made it nearly impossible for crew members to get home if the government does not make special arrangements.
Information received by the President of Goan Seamen Association of India, Franky Viegas revealed that the jobs of the Indian seafarers, including Goan seamen working on the cruise liners is at stake. “I have received information from some of the seafarers that their companies may sign them off. In such an eventuality, they will all be waiting for their repatriation”, Viegas said, while urging the Goa government to be prepared to meet the situation.
“Yesterday, I received a photo from one of the seafarer aboard a cruise liner showing the Goan seamen in prayer.
These seafarers are all healthy and safe from the dreaded virus. We request the government to make arrangements to bring them back to their homeland at the earliest’, Viegas added.
The GSAI has dashed off a letter to the Commissioner, NRI Affairs Adv. Narendra Sawaikar with a copy to the Chief Minister PramodSawant, bringing to their notice the plight of the Goan seafarers.
GSAI general secretary, Benny Da Costa has urged the Goan MLAs to show their support for the Seafarer’s in this COVID 19 pandemic situation. He has appealed to the MLAs to urge government to bring the seafarers as soon as possible before the situation goes out of hand. This is not the time to gain political milage,please do show that together we can fight this corona.”, he said.
The GSAI also dashed a letter to the General Secretary of National Union of Seafarers of India, Abdul Ghani Serang with an appeal to hand over the NUSI hospital at Panzorconi-Cuncolim, if possible, to the Goa government for the quarantine of seafarers who are expected to be back home in the near future in different parts of the world after their sign off.
Meanwhile, GSAI Founder president Dixon Vaz said the government should immediately put in place a contingency plan not only to get the stranded seafarers back to Goa, but to identify a place for their quarantine.
