AHMEDABAD: Despite a Gujarat government scheme announced on May 24 promising Rs 13,500 annual school fee aid for children of diamond workers hit by global crises like wars and tariffs, zero relief has reached Surat, the hub of the diamond industry.
In the past year, 70,254 applications were filed in Surat, yet not a single family received aid. Ahmedabad saw just 170 beneficiaries against 3926 applications, while 2,306 families in Amreli and 13,462 in Botad remain empty-handed.
The figures revealed in the Assembly highlight a massive gap between promises and delivery.
The state government admitted that not a single diamond artisan family in Surat, Amreli, and Botad has received the promised school fee assistance announced months ago.
This disclosure has sparked anger among opposition MLAs, who accused the government of making hollow announcements while the diamond industry spirals into crisis.
The data tabled by the Industry Minister paints a grim picture. In the past year, 70,254 applications were filed in Surat city and district seeking Rs 13,500 annual school fee aid for children of affected diamond artisans, yet zero payouts have been made.
In Ahmedabad, 3,926 applications were received, but assistance reached only 170 families, totalling a meagre Rs 24.03 lakh.
Meanwhile, Amreli (2,306 applications) and Botad (13,462 applications) reported no disbursal at all. In total, over 90,000 families are still waiting, with the government claiming that all applications are “currently under scrutiny” and payments will be made only after verification as per the scheme’s provisions.
This aid program was announced through a circular on May 24, 2025, amid growing distress in the diamond sector.
The scheme promised Rs 13,500 per child for the 2025-26 academic year to support artisans whose livelihoods were hit by global disruptions. Surat, the epicentre of India’s diamond polishing industry, has been battling multiple shocks.
First, the Russia-Ukraine war disrupted the global rough diamond supply chain, leading to a severe slowdown. Then, a 50% tariff imposed by former US President Donald Trump on Indian goods froze $4.8 billion worth of gem and jewellery exports, triggering mass layoffs.
Out of Gujarat’s 15 lakh diamond artisans, nearly 40% face imminent job losses, with Surat alone accounting for 8 to 9 lakh workers.
As workshops close and debts rise, reports of suicides among diamond artisans have surfaced.
The government’s failure to deliver on its much-publicised aid scheme has further fueled anger in the industry. With zero relief reaching Surat the very city the scheme was designed to help, opposition parties are demanding immediate action and accusing the state of abandoning the very workers who built Gujarat’s glittering diamond empire.