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SDA Urges Diamond Firms to Close on Thursday for Polls
Dec 12, 2012 2:40 AM
By Dilipp S Nag
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RAPAPORT... The Surat Diamond Association (SDA) has appealed to diamond companies to close their factories and offices on Thursday, the polling day of the assembly election in India’s western state of Gujarat.
The association said the gesture would help more workers exercise their voting rights. The election in Gujarat is taking place in stages, with the first phase to be held on December 13 and the second on December 17.
According to a report by the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), Surat employs about 600,000 people in the diamond industry with another 200,000 employed in cutting and polishing units across Gujarat state. The majority of the Surat units are small, with more than 90 percent employing fewer than 100 people and the remainder less than 50 people.
ASSOCHAM noted that about 95 percent of global diamond supply is manufactured in India, 80 percent of which is carried out in Gujarat. Surat accounts for a 90 percent of diamond processing activities carried out across Gujarat.
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Tags:
diamond, Dilipp S Nag, election, Gujarat, India, SDA, Surat, Surat Diamond Association
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