Rs.10-mn assistance for jobless diamond workers’ children

October 8th, 2009 Senate Democrats agree to extend jobless benefitsWASHINGTON — Senate Democrats said Thursday they have reached a deal to extend unemployment insurance benefits to the nearly 2 million jobless workers across the country who are in danger of running out of assistance by the end of the year. The agreement would give an additional 14 weeks of benefits to jobless workers in all 50 states.

September 21st, 2009 PUNE - Orra, a world known diamond company, showcased an idol of Lord Ganesha made of 514-karat diamond in Pune. The idol is made of a single piece of diamond and was found in one of Orra's factories in Africa by a foreigner.

September 8th, 2009 SURAT - Diamond traders in Surat are expecting good business during the upcoming National Gold and Diamond festival week in China. The Indian diamond cutting industry was one of the badly hit sectors due to the global recession.

May 13th, 2009 GENEVA - A rare blue diamond fetched a world record 9.3 million Swiss francs ($8.4 million) at an auction by Sotheby's in Geneva Tuesday. The cut and polished gem weighing 7.03 carats was sold by Cullinan Mine in South Africa to an as yet unknown telephone bidder, who will also pay a buyer's premium.

April 27th, 2009 SURAT - After a lull, diamond market in Surat was abuzz with activity following slight spurt in demand for high quality diamond. Reportedly, over a hundred thousands of workers had lost their jobs following the recent recessionary trends.

March 17th, 2009 SURAT - A German university has sent a team of faculty members and students to Gujarat to help the struggling diamond industry find a solution to its woes. The team of 28 students, three researchers and faculty members from the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg has arrived here Sunday.

March 14th, 2009 DHOLERA TALUKA - Diamond workers in Gujarat, who lost their jobs due to ongoing economic recession, reverted to their traditional roots and are making profits by taking up agriculture. Thousands of jobless diamond workers have diverted to agriculture in Bhavnagar and Ahmedabad district.

March 4th, 2009 AHMEDABAD - The Mahagujarat Janata Party (MJP), formed by dissident Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators, will focus on the problems of Gujarat's nearly two million diamond workers during its campaign for the Lok Sabha polls, for which it will pick candidates after the big parties have announced their nominees. 'We will wait for the BJP and Congress to announce their list of candidates for the 26 Lok Sabha seats and then decide which of our candidates should be fielded,' MJP president Govardhan Zadhapia told IANS.

March 2nd, 2009 AHMEDABAD - The downturn-hit diamond workers in Gujarat should be given financial aid at par with the concessions offered to the Tata Group for its Nano car project, a breakaway faction of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said Sunday. The Mahagujarat Janata Party (MJP) - formed by some rebels of the Gujarat unit of the BJP - criticised Chief Minister Narendra Modi for his alleged apathy towards the recession-hit diamond workers in the state.

March 1st, 2009 GANDHINAGAR - Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Saturday announced a skill enhancement training and aid package for the slowdown-hit diamond workers in the state. Under the package, unemployed diamond workers from Surat, Ahmedabad and Bhavnagar will get a stipend of Rs.100 per day during their training period.

February 16th, 2009 PALANPUR - Workers of diamond polishing units from north Gujarat, who lost their jobs due to the global financial meltdown, have threatened to boycott the Lok Sabha elections to protest government apathy towards their plight. 'We are firm on boycotting the Lok Sabha elections.

February 15th, 2009 AHMEDABAD - Hit hard by the economic meltdown, over 200,000 diamond workers in Gujrat's Banaskantha district are living hand to mouth, having sold all their valuables and some are considering selling their organs in desperation, the head of the diamond workers union Monday said. Over the weekend, two jobless diamond workers committed suicide in the district headquarters Palanpur, said Ashok Purohit, president of the Banaskantha Diamond Mazdoor Union.

January 18th, 2009 SURAT - Poor overseas demand due to the global economic meltdown has left thousands jobless in this Gujarat city, India's diamond cutting and polishing hub. Surat has about 6,000 units that provided jobs to 5.5 million people, most of them from the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, who cut and polish almost 70 percent of the world's rough diamonds.

January 5th, 2009 GANDHINAGAR - Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to announce a 'relief package' for the diamond industry, which was hit hard by the slowdown. In the representation to the prime minister, Modi said the state's diamond industry had made great contributions in terms of revenue income to the Indian government by exporting polished diamonds.

December 25th, 2008 AHMEDABAD - The Congress party Friday accused Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi of not taking enough measures to help the crisis-stricken diamond industry of the state. For four months the workers of diamond units were on the street crying for succour.