Aiming at garnering additional resources for social, educational, health and economic improvement of the Scheduled Tribes in the mines-bearing Scheduled Areas, the State Government is mulling to collect funds equivalent to the royalty from mines owners operating in those areas.
With Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approving such a move, the Department of Steel & Mines has stepped up initiatives to put in place a new regulation in this regard, said official sources.
After approval by the State Cabinet, the proposed Odisha Scheduled Areas Development of Mine Bearing Area Regulation-2013 would be in force enabling officials to collect funds from mines owners working in the Scheduled Areas of the state.
Presently, mining lessees are paying royalty under Section 9 of the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act-1957 in respect of the minerals removed by them from the mines under leases granted to them under the law regulating such grant to the Peripheral Development Fund (PDF) for Scheduled Areas established under Section 5.
The Government has now decided to form a Peripheral Developmental Committee (PDC), which would collect funds from the mining lessees, said an official, adding that the funds would be deposited in the PDF for the Scheduled Areas.
These PDCs would chalk out plans and programmes for development of the tribal population in the mining zones. The funds would be utilised by the Peripheral Developmental Committee (PDC) for setting up and maintenance of community assets such as water resources, hospitals, schools, drinking water, sanitation, communication and road infrastructure in the Scheduled Areas.
With the tribal people facing a tough time in the mining zones due to pollution, the Peripheral Developmental Committee (PDC) would utilise this additional fund for protection and upgradation of natural environment there, said an official, adding further that promotion of livelihoods and reduction of poverty through different interventions would be taken up with the additional funds at the disposal of the PDCs.
“Mostly, the additional funds so generated will be exclusively spent for socioeconomic and human empowerment of the persons belonging to Scheduled Tribes,” said the officer.