Summary:
"I am taking the responsibility of ensuring that a full-fledged passport officer will soon be appointed for Goa. He urged Sawaikar to take up the issue with the Centre. Sawaikar, had earlier written to Gadkari pointing out that an estimated 1,000 Goan seafarers could be rendered jobless due to the new rule.Regional passport officer, T D Sharma, senior superintendent of post offices, Archana Gopinath, and South Goa collector Agnelo Fernandes also spoke on the occasion. People need to travel to Mumbai for ECNR clearance which earlier would be done in Goa, he said.While acknowledging the need for a full-fledged passport officer for Goa, Sawaikar said he has already apprised external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj about the issue and was confident the demand will soon be met. I have also suggested that they, if need be, request the Goa government to lend one of their officers to be posted as the passport officer; the Goa government will be willing to accede to the request," he said.Further stating that he took up the issue of SSC qualification being made mandatory for Indian CDC (Continuous Discharge Certificate, a seafarer's identity document) during his meeting with Union minister for shipping Nitin Gadkari , Sawaikar said he expected a circular to be issued by the Centre soon about relaxation in the rule..