DMF Fund: Over ₹16,000 Crore Spent from DMF Fund on Development Activities in Odisha | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar/Keonjhar/Rourkela: Odisha has spent more than Rs 16,200 crore (58.3%) out of Rs 27,839 crore collected under the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) fund since it was created in 2015-16, data from ministry of mines revealed. However, activists demanded proper use of DMF fund for the development of people affected by mining operations.
Initially, the utilisation of DMF fund was slow.Gradually, major mineral-bearing districts like Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Jajpur and Jharsuguda started increasing spending of DMF fund for development projects.
The fund is being utilised for high-priority activities like drinking water supply, education, environment preservation and pollution control, healthcare, sanitation, skill development, welfare of women, children, elderly and disabled people, housing, livelihood programmes and road connectivity. Other priority activities include infrastructure, irrigation, energy, watershed and afforestation.
Keonjhar district, which produces the highest amount of iron ore in the country, gets the lion’s share of DMF fund. Out of the Rs 11,541 crore collected under DMF fund so far, Rs 9,786 crore has been sanctioned for different development activities in Keonjhar. Govt has spent Rs 3,628 crore on 2,592 projects in high-priority areas and Rs 1,680 crore on 679 projects in other priority areas.
Mukhtar Ahmed, a social activist, claimed that DMF funds have been spent on many unnecessary projects.
Subhakanta Nayak, an RTI activist, said Keonjhar is still underdeveloped despite having an abundance of mineral resources.
Keonjhar collector Vishal Singh said different departments are undertaking projects as per the decision of the DMF Trust Board. “We will review if there are any delays or incomplete projects,” he added. Team leader of DMF Keonjhar, Bitan Hawladar, said the project work through different departments is on track.
Another major mining district, Sundargarh, has spent Rs 5,965 crore out of Rs 7,820 crore collected under DMF fund from 2015-16 till June this year. People, however, want proper utilisation of DMF fund for the socio-economic development of mineral-bearing areas. Sushma Bilung, chief executive officer of DMF Sundargarh, could not be contacted for his comment on alleged misuse of fund.
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