Panaji (Goa): Goa is one amongst those few States which has not executed a single project through the funds collected under the District Mineral Foundation (DMF), where mine owners deposit 30 percent of their royalty payment for the development of barren mining areas.

As per the information furnished by the State Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG), total 63 crores have been collected under the DMF but till date not a single scheme is identified for implementation and hence no allocation has been done.

Along with Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana are the other State’s that have failed to launch any scheme, though hundreds of crores are collected under DMF.

A senior mines official said “Government is currently in process of finalizing the formation of the State Level Committee headed by Principal Secretary Mines, which will approve projects to be taken up under DMF”.

The DMF was introduced after the Centre amended the MMDR (Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation) Act in 2015. The same 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.

Team TNV