Surat, March 13 -- A day after the All Gujarat Diamond Association (AGDA) submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel highlighting the financial struggles of diamond artisans, the Gujarat government initiated relief measures.

In response to the plea, the CM directed junior education minister Praful Pansheriya, junior home minister Harsh Sanghavi, and additional chief secretary MK Das to assess the crisis and propose solutions.

"We have been tasked with identifying the challenges faced by the diamond industry and its workers and proposing solutions," Pansheriya toldTOI.

AGDA's memorandum detailed how the prolonged industry slowdown over the past two years has slashed artisans' earnings by 30 per cent to 50 per cent, making ...