PANJIM: The District Mineral Foundation (DMF) has flouted directives of the High Court of Bombay at Goa to meet in the first week of April and take up issues related to DMF fund utilisation. Thirteen days after passing of the order, the DMF is yet to meet.
The High Court in its order on a petition filed to ensure the utilisation of funds to solve the drinking water crisis, among other things in the Sonshi village of North Goa ordered, “Considering the fact that substantial time has elapsed since Rules have been framed, we expect the District Mineral Foundation to hold its meeting as early as possible. Considering the impending summer season, where shortage of drinking water may become acute in the State, we direct the Foundations to hold a meeting some time in the week commencing 2 April 2018 to take up the issues on immediate basis. The Secretaries of the Foundations will inform the Court the steps and the decisions taken in the meeting, on the next date of hearing.”
The week commencing Monday April 2 ended on Sunday April 8. A new week has started. The Court’s directive has not been followed. Herald tried in vain to contact Secretary Mines.
Moreover, the government is left with just two days to prepare its report on issues like fund utilisation, projects to be taken up, DMF publicity, etc and place the same before the High Court at the next hearing scheduled on April 12.
The Court had directed “the State government through an affidavit of Chief Secretary or by a draft settled by him, to give particulars where and which accounts the amount of Rs180 crore has been invested, as contemplated under the rules. We direct that, till further orders, the Mineral Foundations will not disburse any amount above Rs two lakh from the District Mineral Foundation Fund, without informing the Chief Secretary in writing.”
The Chief Secretary was contacted but he is yet to confirm if the draft of the said affidavit has been settled by him.
The meeting of the DMF committees of North chaired by Subhash Malik from Bicholim and South headed by MLA Nilesh Cabral was held on March 23, three months after being constituted in December 2017.
During the meeting, the Committee decided to spend Rs 180 crore collected under DMF on the social welfare projects, including drinking water supply, electricity and sanitation in the areas affected by the closure of the iron ore mining industry. However, post that no meeting has taken place, despite directions from the High Court.
“The meeting is scheduled this week. We held one meeting last month, wherein we have listed the projects to be taken up under the fund. We have made provisions for supply of water and proper road connectivity in the village areas. This is no corridors but village roads,” Cabral told Herald.
He said that during the meeting it was also decided to give wide publicity to DMF through panchayats in the mining areas.
The High Court in its latest order directed the State government/foundations to give publicity to the availability of the funds by putting up notices in every Panchayat office, and issue directions to the Sarpanch to spread the information in the village. The foundations should consider giving publicity to the availability of the fund on radio, the Court said.
DMF was set up after the Centre amended the MMDR (Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation) Act in 2015. DMF has collected as royalty and cess for taking up reclamation and rehabilitation (R&R) in the mining districts.
