28 October,2017 07:15 PM IST | Mumbai | Vinod Kumar Menon
An employee of M/s GOL Offshore Limited says he has not been paid for over a year and a half and the company owes him over Rs 6 lakh
The woes continue to rise for employees of M/s GOL Offshore Limited. mid-day, in a series of articles has highlighted the plight of not only the seafarers, but also the office staff including senior management at their Mumbai office, who have not been paid for over a year.
Vishnu Mahajan on the deck of Malaviya 29 in Brazil
"I am unable to pay my housing loan. I barely paid my son's fees. With no income from the company for past one and half years, I have no option but to end my life," said Vishnu Mahajan, 51, a junior officer with M/s GOL Offshore Limited.
Mahajan, a resident of Mira Road, returned home early this week after being in a private nursing home for two days, as he had allegedly consumed a floor cleaning liquid in a fit of rage after a fight with his wife.
Mahajan with two guests on board Malaviya 29. Chief engineer RNC Pillai whose dues of Rs 81 lakh are pending is also seen
Mahajan claimed he was also stressed after recovery agents from a private bank which had lent him the home loan came knocking at his door for non-payment of EMIs, few days before.
Worried about future
"I have surrendered my insurance policies and somehow managed to raise Rs 3 lakh, from which I cleared my son's college fees of Rs 2.40 lakh. I also paid Rs 20,000 EMI towards my home loan and got some groceries. I will be able to pay my home loan for November too, but after that I have no money. Me and my wife are worried about our future," he said.
Life was much happier until 2015, he recalled saying, "I bought a new house in Mira Road in 2013, and was drawing a monthly salary of Rs 2.50 lakh. I had served the company for 23 long years, but with change in leadership at the top level, the situation changed."
He added, "During my last contract I joined the company's vessel Bharti-S on February 4, 2016, and went on leave on June 1, 2016, without receiving salary. I was promised that salary would be paid within a month and requested to join their vessel, Malaviya 29 at Brazil."
After spending 10 months at Brazil he returned to India on April 17, 2017. He claimed they only paid him five months salary of around Rs 8.50 lakh when they owe him Rs 15 lakh. He even complained to the Indian Consulate at Sao Paulo, which contacted the Director General of Shipping, Mumbai, but he said till date he has not received his salary.
Other employees
Another six employees of the company are stranded on Malaviya 7 at Aberdeen Port, North East of Scotland, the United Kingdom. One of them is Clay Vaz, 52, and his wife Assumption is doing everything possible to get him back. Assumption said, "My husband had worked for this company for past 29 years and he is now worried about his future, as the company has not paid them for over a year. I had to mortgage my gold jewellery to pay my daughter's catering college fee."
