By IANS,
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.
MJP chief Govardhan Zadhapia said Rs.12 crore (Rs.120 million) announced as a relief package for the diamond workers would serve no purpose in helping their families survive the economic downturn.
“The Gujarat government had heaped sops on the Nano small car project. The amount of concessions being offered to the Tata Group should have matched with the amount of financial assistance being announced for the diamond workers,” he added.
Zadhapia said the diamond workers don’t need training courses as offered by the the government as a relief measure but require immediate financial assistance to tide over the crisis being faced by their families.
“We would say the financial assistance to the distressed diamond workers could come by providing employment and not training programmes being designed for them at various institutes across Gujarat.”