Quite a number of Goans have been employed as Seamen on Cruise Liners, Containers, Tankers, Cargo Vessels and Merchant Navy from time immemorial. Not all of them earn enough to sustain themselves in old age, and are often faced with innumerable hardships. Particularly those who are engaged on petty jobs like Painters, Loaders, Fitters, Oilmen and Deck Crew etc, are lowly paid, and consequently they hardly derive any significant pensionery benefits after they are laid off due to physical disabilities, or as the case may be, retirement age.
Against this background, the State Government has launched a scheme called “The Goa Welfare / Pension Scheme for Seafarers, 2012” to provide financial assistance in the form of gross pension of Rs. 2,500/- per month to retired Goan Seamen on completion of 60 years of age who were employed on lowly paid jobs on board the ship and retired, including Seamen invalidated from sea service on medical grounds before retirement and widows of deceased seamen on compassionate grounds, provided the annual income from all sources does not exceed Rs. 1.20 lakhs.
