New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday asked District Collectors to ensure timely execution of projects under District Mineral Foundations (DMF) and address the challenges faced by people living in mining regions. District Mineral Foundations have been established in 645 districts across 23 states and the District Collector is the Chairman of Governing Council and Managing Committee of DMF of the district.
The DMF is a non-profit statutory 'fund' for every Indian district affected by mining-related operations.
Speaking during a National District Mineral Foundation workshop here, Mines Secretary VL Kantha Rao said, "There is a lot of demand from all quarters that for such a big fund, you have made the collector the Chairman. And the people above that collector go to that meeting as a member. All those kinds of things."
“But the government has been very clear that the collector will ensure that the works are executed in a timely manner for the benefit of people who are affected by mining."
He also stressed that various complaints with regard to the DMF have been received by the mines ministry, which include non-expenditure of money.
He also pointed out that there is one state where not a single penny has been spent from the DMF fund.
"In one state, the expenditure is zero. So there are all kinds of complaints. So we need to make sure that these complaints are addressed," he explained.
Coal and mines minister G Kishan Reddy said that the money of DMF should be strictly spent through the PMKKK guidelines.
Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) was launched for the welfare of areas and people affected by mining-related operations, using the funds generated by District Mineral Foundations (DMFs).
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