Team Herald
PANJIM: With Goa Government yet to execute even a single project under the District Mineral Foundation Fund (DMF), the Union Mines Ministry has directed the State to implement its ambitious Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY), meant to provide for the welfare of areas and people affected by mining related operations, using funds generated by DMF.
During the Coordination-cum-Empowered Committee (CCEC) meeting held on Friday, iron ore mineral rich States, including Goa, have been asked to implement the PMKKKY through DMF of the respective districts.
“The projects implemented under PMKKKY will help create a congenial mining environment, ameliorate the conditions of the affected persons and create a win-win situation for the stakeholders,” the meeting details reveal.
The project aims at mitigating the adverse impact during and after mining, on the environment, health and socio-economics of the people in the mining areas and to ensure long term sustainable livelihood of the affected people.
Under the project, the States have been asked to identify areas having active mining operations, its impact and also those where activities were initiated in the past and now abandoned.
PMKKY has mandated that 60 percent of the funds be utilized for high priority areas.
