Indian Opposition Leader Chandrakant Kavlekar backs protesting seafarers

Kavlekar backs protesting seafarers
TNN | Jul 12, 2018 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/kavlekar-backs-protesting-s...

Margao: Leader of opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar on Wednesday extended his support to Goa’s seafarer community in their protest against the abrupt withdrawal of the monthly ex gratia amount from the Seafarers Welfare Fund Society, Mumbai. Kavlekar met the seafarers who held a dharna at Lohia Maidan, Margao, and assured them of tabling a calling attention motion over the issue in the assemly session.

“The seafarers have spent the prime of their youth working on the high seas and contributing to the state’s economy,” Kavlekar said. “I will prevail upon the government to intervene in the matter and help resolve the issue.”

Spokesperson of Goa Seamen Association of India (GSAI) Dixon Vaz, said that the association has rejected the offer of a one-time settlement of Rs 12,500, and have demanded that it be raised to Rs 5 lakh. Else, they have demanded that the monthly ex gratia amount be hiked from Rs 200 to Rs 5,000.

They also demanded that the monthly financial assistance provided to seafarers by the state government be hiked from Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000.

Kavlekar said that he had proposed a resolution in that regard in the last assembly session, and that it was approved by the House. “I will draw the attention of the government to its failure in implementing the resolution,” Kavlekar said.

Demanding that the government intervene and bring NUSI for talks with Goa’s seamen, Vaz threatened to close down the NUSI Academy at Sucaldem-Chinchinim if the issue is not resolved within three months.

He also decried the failure of NUSI in returning the unclaimed amount of provident fund lying with it to the respective beneficiaries.