Labourers in Madhya Pradesh unearth two diamonds worth Rs 90 lakh

Panna, located in the region of Bundelkhand, is famous for its diamond mines

Two labourers became millionaires after they unearthed two diamonds weighing 7.44 and 14.98 carats at mines in Madhya Pradesh's Panna district, an official said on Tuesday.

Dilip Mistry extracted the 7.44 carat stone from a mine in Jaruapur, while Lakhan Yadav mined a 14.98 carat one in Krishna Kalyanpur area, diamond inspector Anupam Singh said.

The stones were deposited at the diamond office on Monday and will be auctioned off, the official said, adding that the labourers would get the proceeds after a deduction of 12.5 per cent royalty.

While the exact value of the diamonds will be decided by the authorities, the stone weighing 7.44 carat will fetch around Rs 30 lakh and the bigger one will fetch double the amount, he said.

Meanwhile, both labourers were thrilled about their discovery.

For Yadav, who is a small farmer with a two-acre land, this is a first diamond extraction.

"I will use the money from the proceeds to educate my children," he said.

Mistry said, "I am a part of a group of four persons and we have been working hard to extract diamonds on our private land for the last six months. By the grace of God, I have got this good quality diamond for the first time.