Decision on seafarers’ evacuation in 3 days: Goa CM

TNN | Updated: Apr 16, 2020, 08:58 IST

Goa CM Pramod Sawant

PANAJI: Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said that evacuation of seafarers would be done in three phases, but the final decision on the first phase would be taken within the next three days by the ministry of home affairs.
Sawant said he has raised the matter at various levels, even with Union minister of state for shipping Mansukh Mandaviya. As per the Director General of Shipping’s information, 3,000 Indian seafarers are along the Indian Coast, 15,000 in deep sea, while the rest are on land, he told reporters.
“The Union shipping ministry has finalised standard operation procedure (SOP) to evacuate seafarers. DG Shipping’s proposal has been sent to MHA for final approval,” the chief minister said.
Sawant said as per the SOP, in the first phase, seafarers whose ships are along the Indian Coast will be brought back to port via sea route. “This decision would be taken in three days,” he said.
‘Continuously following up on ship crew with Centre’
In the second phase, the seafarers whose vessels are in deep sea brought to shore, but a decision in this regard will be taken in eight to 10 days. In third and last phase, decision will be taken about the seafarers who are already on land.
“Within two to three days final decision on the issue to evacuate seafarers will be taken by MHA,” Sawant said.
He said that he has been following the issue of seafarers continuously since the last few days, though some feel that the state government is not acting on the issue.
“Until a concrete solution is found, we did not want to speak about it and give false assurances. Some people want to politicise the issue. It is not right to give any assurance till we get a solution from the Centre,” the chief minister said.
He said that he had also discussed the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah.