By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/NEW DELHI: Odisha collected Rs 16,466.03 Crore and topped the list with Rs Rs 57,411 Crore DMF funds collected till December 2021 across the Country, said, Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Shri Pralhad Joshi in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Monday.
Till December 2021, ₹ 57,411 crore has been collected under District Mineral Foundation (DMF) in the country, he added. Chhattisgarh collected Rs 8219.93 Crore while Jharkhand Rs 7736.22 Crore, Joshi said in his reply. Rajasthan Rs 5687.25 Crore, Karnataka Rs 3091.98 Crore, he said adding Madhya Pradesh Rs 4558.24 Crore.
The Central Government under Section 20A of the MMDR Act has issued directions and circulated guidelines for Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra KalyanYojna (PMKKKY) on 16.09.2015 to be implemented by the District Mineral Foundations (DMF) for taking up development and welfare projects/programs in mining affected areas. Further, Section 9B and Section 15(4) of MMDR Act empowers State Governments to frame rules for regulating the composition, functions and working of the District Mineral Foundations in the State. Therefore, the complaints with respect to the utilization of DMF funds are addressed by the respective State Governments.
As per the guidelines, instruction have been issued to the DMFs for identification of affected areas and people to be covered under the PMKKKY scheme and spend at least 60% of the funds on High Priority areas (Drinking water supply, Environment preservation and pollution control, Health care, Education, Welfare of Women and Children, Welfare of aged and disabled, Skill Development, Sanitation, Housing) and up to 40% on Other Priority Activities. The guidelines also envisage annual audit of the DMF funds to ensures that these funds are being utilized as per DMF rules framed by the respective State Governments. Additionally, as per PMKKKY guidelines, every year, the DMF has to prepare an Annual Report within three months from the date of closure of the financial year, on its activities for the respective financial year and place it before the State Legislative Assembly.
Further, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2021 which came into effect on 28.03.2021 empowers the Central Government to issue directions to the State Governments with respect to composition and functions of DMF. Accordingly Central Government has issued order on 23.04.2021 to all the States to include MPs, MLAs and MLCs in the Governing Council of the DMF in larger public interest, he added.
