Diamond workers get identity cards

Surat Diamond Association (SDA) has taken a unique initiative of keeping a database of the diamond workers by issuing them an Empower Card, a photo identity card, the SDA president Dinesh Navadia informed on Tuesday.

"We have decided to issue around five lakh Empower Cards to the diamond workers in Surat over next six months. This would not only give them an identity as a diamond worker, but also make them eligible for the various schemes provided by the government. We have started issuing cards to the workers in Surat. So far about 16,000 diamond workers have been issued the Empowered Cards in past 15 days," said Navadia.

SDA has initiated the data collection work of the diamond workers in the city. The cards would help to know about the past track-record of the diamond workers. The cards would also make it easy for the government to identify the diamond workers to give them benefits under the insurance schemes, educational and other loans.