Seamen get PF dues of Rs 93 Cr from government

MUMBAI: After waiting for five years, the country's seamen have received their provident dues of Rs 92.78 crore from the central government, which was lost in the Provident Fund (PF) fraud in May 2002.

"While a CBI probe was on, the National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) had demanded that the amount lost should be returned to the seafarers by Government of India, irrespective of the status of CBI inquiry," NUSI general secretary-cum-treasurer Abdulghani Y Serang said.

After agitating for last five years demanding refund from the Centre, the seafarers finally got their dues of Rs 92.78 crore on July 30, Serang said.

The Seamen's Provident Fund Organisation at Mumbai received a letter to the effect from Under Secretary to the Government of India, A C Ojha, he said.

"In past five years, thousands of seafarers and their families under the banner of NUSI participated in the agitation," Serang said.

Hundreds of log entries were made and 'protest day' organised in the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Karnataka, Orissa and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, he said.

According to him, many office bearers and seamen of the Union were arrested and later released, when they protested against the delay in release of the blocked provident fund amount. "We however, appreciate this decision taken by the Centre," he added.