Bhopal, June 23 (IANS) A middle-aged woman labourer, Savitri Bai Sisodia, found a 2.69-carat diamond while digging a mine in Panna district of Madhya Pradesh on Monday.

She had taken a portion of land (mine) on lease from the government in search of diamonds.

Savitri Bai had been toiling for the past two years to find a diamond in a private mine in Chopra area, unmindful of the scorching sun, dust and grime, with a firm belief that she would find a diamond that would change the fortune of her family.

Diamond Officer Anupam Singh, who inspected the stone and deposited it, said it would be put up for auction as per the rules.

“The amount received from the auction will be handed over to the woman after deducting government royalty and taxes,” Singh added.

Notably, the state government lease out small parts of land to prospective miners every year at nominal prices.

Thousands of people take land on lease in search of diamonds, but very few of them can lay their hands on diamonds.

One has to pay Rs. 250 to Rs. 350 through a challan, fill out a form, wait for a constable from the diamond office to allocate and mark a 25×30 feet plot at Patti Bajaria, which then becomes mine of the person for a certain period of time.

An official at the Panna Diamond office said that the exact value of the diamond is not yet known. “It would be put up for auction. Savitri Bai Sisodia, who is a resident of Devendra Nagar in Panna district, found a diamond of 2.69 carats,” an official said.

After finding diamonds, people must hand over their finds to the government diamond office, which evaluates the stones and sells them at an auction.

After deducting royalties and taxes, the proceeds are sent back to the miners, a bittersweet reward for their tireless digging.

Before this incident, a labourer identified as Dilip Mistry had unearthed a 7.44-carat diamond in November 2024. It was his second such luck in just three months.

Earlier in July 2024, a labourer in the area had found a 19.22-carat diamond, further highlighting Panna’s reputation as a key hub for diamond mining in India.

–IANS

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