Goa: HC seeks reply on seamen’s paid quarantine

PANAJI: The high court of Bombay at Goa has sought a reply from the state government authorities on a plea challenging its order imposing cost of quarantine on seafarers’ companies. The petition claims that state government order is violative of relaxations given by the central government.
Dixon Vaz, an ex-seafarer and founder of Goan Seamen Association of India, and two others have approached the court and sought that the order issued by Goa government on May 8 be declared as illegal.
The order states that seafarers who test negative will undergo mandatory institutional quarantine to be paid by their company for a minimum period of 14 days on arrival in India either by flight or ship.
The petitioners have pointed out that the state government order is contrary to the directives issued by Director General of Shipping regarding calculation of 14-day quarantine period.
The Director General of Shipping order provides that the period spent on board from the last port of call should be counted as period spent under quarantine, “since the ship itself is disinfected and without any Covid-19 symptoms”.
The petitioners have stated that the amount directed to be paid by government might not be paid by the employer company and seafarers will have to pay it.