Call to include mining-affected persons in works taken up under DMF funds
Mines, Minerals and People (MMP) a non-governmental organisation fighting for the rights of the people, particularly of those affected by mining activities, will urge the Union and the State governments to involve people in the process of planning and implementation of projects and programmes being taken up utilising District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds.
“People, particularly the affected, should be involved in the entire process, right from planning to implementation,” Ashok Srimali, general secretary of MMP, said here on Sunday.
“Irreparable damage has been caused to nature due to mining and people have also been severely affected. Though DMFs have been formed, the affected people have not been involved in the process of planning and implementation. MMP has launched a campaign all over the country, to create awareness among the people about the advantages of DMF,” he said.
“Planning process should start from the grass-roots level, after mapping the issues covering various aspects that would be for the benefit of the posterity,” he said.
After the formation of DMF in Karnataka, Rs. 1,220 crore had been collected from the mining firms till October 2018, of which the highest was from Ballari at Rs. 748 crore. The respective DMF have proposed 1,451 works estimated at Rs. 638 crore, while the expenditure has been a mere Rs. 48 crore.
Courtesy: The Hindu, Ballari, 17-12-2018
