Odisha Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik has approved the formation of the much awaited District Mineral Foundation (DMF) in various districts, which will take care the concerns of health, education, housing, environment, infrastructure, livelihood, social security, skill development and improvement of institutional mechanism for delivery of public services and other interests of the people.
In each district there will be a DMF, which will have Board of Trustees headed by either the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) or District Collector as per decision of the state government. District collector will be the managing trustee of DMF.
District Level Officers of Steel & Mines, Forest & Environment, Rural Development, Works, ST & SC Development, Health & Family Welfare and other departments as the state government will specify the members.
Each member of Lok Sabha and member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly in whose constituency any major mineral concession is situated shall be member of the DMF. Member of Zilla Parishad and three members from Panchayati Raj Institutions or Urban Local Bodies will be taken as members.
The Board of Trustees will prepare the master plan for development of the area and will make annual budget for implementing projects.
Both the concession holders of major and minor minerals will be making payments to the DMF. Once the union government makes the notification on quantum of payment for the major mineral concession holders, then DMF will be receiving payments from them.
However, the state government has notified that all holders of minor mineral leases shall, in addition to the royalty, pay to the respective DMF as amount equivalent to the amount of royalty if the lease has not been granted through auction.
“If the minor mineral lease holder received the lease through auction, it will pay 25% of royalty. The lease holder will pay the amount on the same day on which royalty is payable to the state government,” said an official.
What is DMF?
DMF is District Mineral Foundation, introduced in amended MMDR (Mineral and Mining Development Regulation Act). Under the act, miners of iron ore, bauxite, limestone and manganese ore will be required to pay upto 100% of the royalty on the mineral as their contribution towards the DMF, meant to support the project-affected people.
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