Team Herald

PANJIM: The State government has decided to spend the amount collected under the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) on social welfare projects, including drinking water supply, electricity and sanitation in areas affected due to the closure of the iron ore mining industry. Nearly Rs 188 crore is currently deposited with DMF. 

A partial amount will be also be spent on construction of the mining corridor, with the first phase from Guddemol to Kapxem in South Goa expected to be taken up in the next two months by Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC).

The first meeting of the DMF committees of North chaired by Subhash Malik from Bicholim and South headed by MLA Nilesh Cabral was held on Friday. 

“During the meeting, it was decided that the amount collected under DMF be spent on providing utilities like drinking water, electricity and bus transportation to students. Sanitation will also be part of it,” GSIDC chairman Deepak Pawaskar told media persons. 

He said an amount of Rs 104 crore has been deposited with North DMF and Rs 84 crore with the South DMF. “The amount collected is to be used for welfare and rehabilitation of people in mining affected areas. With closure of mining, there is a serious problem that the people there are facing and we have to help them,” he said.

Speaking on the mining corridor, Pawaskar said that GSIDC has already finalised the consultant for the project and the first phase will be taken up in the next two months. 

The DMF was introduced after the Centre amended the MMDR (Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation) Act in 2015. DMF has been collected from royalty and cess for taking up reclamation and rehabilitation (R&R) in the mining districts.