The workers of diamond industry in Gujarat's city Surat who were rendered jobless in the wake of the global slowdown have found their saviour in the form of NREGA.
An official report received by the Rural Development Ministry says that many workers engaged in cutting and polishing diamonds in Surat are now working under NREGA in several villages of Gujarat. "Diamond workers from Surat have returned to their villages (in Gujarat). These workers have been issued job cards and are working under NREGA," a national level monitor has reported the ministry from Gujarat.
Surat is a leading diamond polishing centre of the world. However, global slowdown coupled with sky-rocketing prices of raw diamond forced thousands of workers to switch to other jobs last year.
The ministry has constituted a panel of 'National Level Monitors' (NLMs), including retired civil servants and senior ex-servicemen, to monitor the policy and implementation of the programmes at grassroot level.
In its report to the ministry, the NLM noted several deficiencies in implementation of NREGA in Gujarat. It said there was low awareness about provisions of the Act among NREGA functionaries including village monitoring committees in the state.
