Odisha’s District Mineral Foundation fund collection highest in country

The Times of India | March 11, 2021
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha has collected the highest amount of Rs 11,984 crore among all the states under the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) fund since it was created in 2015, Union mines minister Pralhad Joshi told Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Till January, a total of Rs 45,095.86 crore in DMF fund was generated in the country. Odisha got more than one-fourth of the share, the minister’s written reply revealed. Neighbouring Jharkhand (Rs 6,533.04 crore) and Chhattisgarh (Rs 6,329.78 crore) managed to collect the second and third highest amounts under DMF. Rajasthan is fourth, having collected Rs 4,496 crore.

The funds are contribution from mining companies operating in the respective districts, which has been mandated under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015. The mining companies pay 30% equivalent of the royalty amount for leases given before 2015 and 10% for leases granted after that when auction of mines and mineral blocks started.

A government officer said Odisha being a mine-bearing state, it is natural for it to garner the maximum amount, the bulk coming from coal, iron ore and bauxite.

Against an available amount of Rs 11,984 crore, the state has spent Rs 5,364 crore by January this year. The amount spent is also the highest in the country, though in percentage terms the state’s spending at 44.76% is marginally less than the national average of 45.10%. Countrywide, Rs 20,337.35 crore has been spent from DMF fund. Chhattisgarh has spent the highest 69.04% (Rs 4,370 crore) followed by Tamil Nadu at 54% (Rs 413.29 crore).

The ministry of mines had circulated guidelines for implementation of Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojna (PMKKKY) in September 2015 on the use of DMF fund.

Though DMF has been constituted in all districts in Odisha, the seven districts of Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Jajpur, Angul, Jharsuguda, Koraput and Rayagada account for 90% of the funds. Some of the districts such as Sundargarh and Keonjhar used DMF fund for enhancing Covid care infrastructure. Many districts have used the funds to strengthen primary health centres besides livelihood and nutrition support programmes, among others.