Team Herald
PANJIM: Almost 16 months after constituting the District Mineral Fund (DMF), the State government is yet to decide on projects to be taken up with finance from the fund. The fund is collected from mine owners who deposit 30 percent of their royalty payment for the development of barren mining areas.
The government is currently in the process of finalising the formation of the State Level Committee headed by the Principal Secretary Mines, which will approve projects to be taken up under District Mineral Fund.
Mines Director Prasanna Acharya confirmed that the fund, to the tune of Rs 115 crore, is with the State government which is yet to be utilised in the mining belt in the absence of the committee.
“State government has almost finalised the formation of the committee which is likely to be headed by State Mines Secretary. The composition of the committee is being worked out,” Acharya said.
The District Mineral Fund was introduced after the Centre amended the MMDR (Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation) Act in 2015. It was endorsed by the Supreme Court, which is hearing the illegal mining case.
Accordingly, in January 2016, the Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) had notified the Goa District Mineral Foundation Rules 2016 for adherence to the principles of sustainable mining, inter-generational equity, and to afford protection to the environment and ecology and to meet the needs of the mining affected persons and areas.
The State’s mining industry, which has been contributing to the fund and monitoring the events over formation of the committee to utilise it, has demanded that they should be represented on the committee.
“It is relevant to have industry representatives on the district mineral fund committee,” Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association’s (GMOEA) secretary Glenn Kalavampara said. “Certain part of the District Mineral Fund needs to be considered towards development of infrastructure within the mining belt which is critical,” he added.
As per the District Mineral Fund Rules, 50 percent of the contribution towards the fund shall be deposited in fixed deposits or government bond/bank bonds. The interest earned to the extent of 90 percent is to be utilised to achieve the objectives.
