A limited relief package has been announced for diamond workers and small manufacturing units in Surat.
The Gujarat state government is responding to widespread job losses and economic hardship among the estimated one million diamond workers in Surat as the global slowdown persists.
The relief package, as detailed by chief minister Bhupendra Patel, will cover school fees for children of jobless diamond artisans in full, subject to certain conditions.
Small diamond manufacturing businesses will be eligible for low-interest loans and a one-year year exemption from the duty charged on their electricity bills.
The move has been given a cautious welcome by the Diamond Worker Union Gujurat, but there are ongoing calls for more comprehensive support, particularly for unregistered workers and families affected by the crisis, as well as for families of diamond workers who have taken their own lives.
Source: DCLA
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