MP: DMF fund to be used for mining affected people, says CM Mohan Yadav

Bhopal, May 7 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Wednesday said that the funds collected under the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) will be used in the interest of the affected people, especially in mining-affected areas.

He stated that only concrete, long-lasting projects such as the construction of school buildings, hospitals, community centres, dispensaries, veterinary hospitals, sports grounds, and infrastructure in PVTG (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups) settlements should be carried out using DMF funds.

Temporary or maintenance-related works, he added, should be executed through departmental budgets.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also granted in-principle approval for development projects worth Rs 502 crore in mining-affected districts.

“This will enable a variety of development and upgradation activities in these regions. The approved districts include Dindori, Shahdol, Anuppur, Barwani, Damoh, Chhindwara, Seoni, Alirajpur, Shivpuri, Sagar, Rewa, and Betul,” said the Chief Minister.

Principal Secretary (Mining) Umakant Umrao informed that Rs 1,681 crore is currently available under DMF, of which, more than Rs 1,008.6 crore can be utilised for high-priority sectors, which include education, drinking water, environmental protection, healthcare, sanitation, skill development, welfare of the elderly and differently-abled, and women and child welfare.

The remaining Rs 672.4 crore can be spent on other priority sectors, including irrigation, physical infrastructure, energy, and watershed development, he added.

He further stated that under the new guidelines, up to 70 per cent of the DMF fund will be spent on high-priority sectors, including housing, agriculture, and animal husbandry, while 30 per cent is allocated for other priority sectors, including measures for improving environmental quality in mining districts.

--IANS

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