While the Odisha Government is asking for additional allocations for the Aspirational Districts, the Centre, instead of providing more funds, has advised the former to use the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) fund for these backward districts.
The State Government in frequent intervals has been demanding additional funds for the 10 districts, which are notified as Aspirational Districts. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik drew the issue to the attention of NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar, who recently visited the State.
Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi has also drawn attention of NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant to the fact that these backward districts require additional funds.
However now, the Union Ministry of Mines has written to the State Government to dovetail the DMF resources to the Aspirational Districts and chalk out Action Plans for them. Mines Ministry Secretary Anil G Mukim has written to the State Government in this regard, said sources.
Mukim has pointed out that the DMF has been established with an objective to work for the interest and benefit of the persons and areas affected by mining-related operations in the concerned districts. The Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) would be implemented through the DMF resources of these districts.
In Odisha, all the 10 Aspirational Districts have minerals-bearing areas; so, the DMF funds would be available in all the backward districts. Contributions are being collected from the mining leaseholders, both major and minor minerals, for the DMF.
Therefore, DMF resources are available in Balangir, Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri Nabarangpur, Nuapada and Rayagada. DMF implementation is needed to be undertaken in these areas where till date over Rs 160 crore of funds has been collected.
Mukim has advised the State Government to ask the district Collectors to use the DMF funds for implementation of Action Plans of these backward districts within the framework of PMKKKY and DMF.
While the State Government has already taken up various developmental programmes under the DMF in all the districts asking to dovetail the DMF resources for the 10 districts would not come as a much help as already funds flow are there, pointed out a senior official.
The State Government would be pumping over Rs 12,000 crore in the minerals-bearing districts and, accordingly, projects are being sanctioned, said sources in the Department of Steel & Mines.
But the Aspirational Districts, which are in the lowest ladders of development, require additional funds over and above the funding for leapfrogging developmental activities, pointed out a senior official.