Panna diamond office lacks manpower to trace stolen gems

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The diamond office in Panna district, the lone diamond office in the country, is facing shortage of manpower and therefore battling with problems.

For instance, if a person takes an excavated diamond to his house from the mine, the office has no foolproof system to trace the stolen diamond.

Sources in the Panna diamond office told Free Press that hardly 20% of diamonds excavated from mines or found by people in their fields reach the diamond office for auction. The remaining 80% are sold by people (who find them during excavation or in fields) in open markets in Surat (Gujarat), Mumbai.

Though selling diamonds in the open market is against rules, the Panna diamond office cannot take action due to inadequate manpower.

On selling diamonds in the open market, a person gets money instantly , which helps him to meet his immediate financial needs. On depositing diamonds at the Panna diamond office, one has to wait for two to three months for an auction of diamonds to get money.

There is a rule to hold a diamond auction every month but the office doesn’t get enough diamonds. Hence, auctions are held once in two to three months.

When contacted, Anupam Singh, Diamond Valuer at Panna Diamond office, told Free Press that his office sent several letters to the government to increase staff but to no avail. At present, the office has one inspector, two constables, one diamond valuer and one clerk.