The Crossbill News Desk
The Gujarat government has received a total of 89,948 applications for educational aid from diamond workers, but so far, financial assistance has been provided for only 170 children, data presented to the State Legislature on Tuesday, September 9, revealed.
The data was shared in response to a question by Congress MLA Tushar Amarsinh Chaudhary regarding the special assistance package announced in May for workers who lost jobs in Surat and Ahmedabad’s diamond hubs, as reported by The Hindu.
According to the state government, by July, it had received 70,254 applications from Surat and 3,926 from Ahmedabad.
While applicants in Ahmedabad have received a total of Rs. 24.03 lakh, workers in Surat are still awaiting disbursal. The package provides Rs. 13,500 per child annually to cover school fees.
“Not a single worker in Surat has received any aid, despite applying months ago. In a state where GST is not paid properly, how can poor workers who have already lost their jobs produce employment records, especially when many of the units they worked in have shut down,” said Bhavesh Tank, vice-president of the Diamond Workers Union, as reported by the newspaper.
In reply to another query by Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani, the state government disclosed that it had received 13,462 applications from diamond workers in Botad district and another 2,306 from Amreli, but none of these applicants have received compensation so far.
The assistance scheme was introduced in response to job losses triggered by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and covers diamond workers who lost their jobs after March 31, 2024. The scheme is designed to ensure that children’s education is not disrupted, with support payments transferred directly to schools via the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.
Additionally, the Gujarat government announced separate relief measures for diamond units.
The delay in disbursing aid has raised concerns over the effectiveness and implementation of the scheme, especially in the state’s key diamond manufacturing hubs, where thousands of workers remain in financial distress.
The data was shared in response to a question by Congress MLA Tushar Amarsinh Chaudhary regarding the special assistance package announced in May for workers who lost jobs in Surat and Ahmedabad’s diamond hubs, as reported by The Hindu.
According to the state government, by July, it had received 70,254 applications from Surat and 3,926 from Ahmedabad.
While applicants in Ahmedabad have received a total of Rs. 24.03 lakh, workers in Surat are still awaiting disbursal. The package provides Rs. 13,500 per child annually to cover school fees.
“Not a single worker in Surat has received any aid, despite applying months ago. In a state where GST is not paid properly, how can poor workers who have already lost their jobs produce employment records, especially when many of the units they worked in have shut down,” said Bhavesh Tank, vice-president of the Diamond Workers Union, as reported by the newspaper.
In reply to another query by Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani, the state government disclosed that it had received 13,462 applications from diamond workers in Botad district and another 2,306 from Amreli, but none of these applicants have received compensation so far.
The assistance scheme was introduced in response to job losses triggered by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and covers diamond workers who lost their jobs after March 31, 2024. The scheme is designed to ensure that children’s education is not disrupted, with support payments transferred directly to schools via the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.
Additionally, the Gujarat government announced separate relief measures for diamond units.
The delay in disbursing aid has raised concerns over the effectiveness and implementation of the scheme, especially in the state’s key diamond manufacturing hubs, where thousands of workers remain in financial distress.
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