Gandhinagar, Feb 28 (IANS) 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. Stipend limit is fixed at Rs.2,500 per month, Modi said.

Many diamond artisans in these areas were rendered jobless as the global economic slowdown has hit the diamond industry hard.

A four-month training module has been designed for the workers in diamond assortment, bruiting, grading of diamonds, planning and making jewellery and other trade related skills.

Once they finish the training, the state government would help them get loans under different schemes like the Vajpayee Bankable Scheme, the Kutir and Gramodhyog schemes, and the Prime Minister’s Employment Programme.

In the first phase, Rs.120 million have been sanctioned to train 15,000 diamond workers, officials said.