Editor’s Note
New data presented to the Gujarat State legislature reveals a significant shortfall in educational aid for diamond workers’ families. While nearly 90,000 applications have been submitted, assistance has been granted to only 170 children so far, highlighting a critical gap between need and provision.
Data provided to the Gujarat State legislature on Tuesday (September 9) has revealed a stark disparity: while the state government has received 89,948 applications for educational aid from diamond workers, it has so far provided financial assistance for school fees to only 170 children.
The information came to light in response to a question raised 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. In its reply, the state government stated that until 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 it had received 13,462 applications from diamond workers in Botad district and another 2,306 from Amreli. However, none of these applicants has received compensation so far.
The assistance scheme was introduced in the context of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and covers diamond workers who lost their jobs after March 31, 2024. Its aim is to ensure that their children’s education is not disrupted. As per the scheme, the support must be transferred directly to schools through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system. The Gujarat government has also announced separate relief measures for diamond units.
