While the Gujarat government has received 89,948 applications for educational aid from diamond workers, it has so far provided financial assistance to only 170 children for the school fees of only 170 children, data provided to the State legislature on Tuesday (September 9) has revealed.
Congress MLA Tushar Amarsinh Chaudhary had asked a question on the special assistance package announced in May for workers who lost jobs in Surat and Ahmedabad’s diamond hubs, according to this report by The Wire.
In reply to the question, the State government said that till July, it had received 70,254 applications from Surat and another 3,926 from Ahmedabad.
Applicants in Ahmedabad have received a total of Rs. 24.03 lakh but workers in Surat are still awaiting disbursal. The package provides Rs. 13,500 per child annually to help cover school fees.
In reply to another question raised by Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani, the state government said that it had received 13,462 applications from diamond workers in Botad district and another 2,306 from Amreli. But none of these applicants has been compensated so far.
The assistance scheme was introduced following the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and covers diamond workers who lost their jobs after March 31, 2024.
The scheme aims to ensure that their children’s education is not disrupted. As per the scheme, the support has to be transferred directly to schools through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system. The Gujarat government has also announced separate relief for diamond units.
“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 Diamond Workers Union vice-president Bhavesh Tank, reported The Hindu.
Also Read: Seventy-One Suicides in 18 Months: Cong Highlights Surat’s Diamond Industry Crisis https://www.vibesofindia.com/seventy-one-suicides-in-18-months-cong-highlights-surats-diamond-industry-crisis/
