Use DMFT funds to solve the problems of affected people of mining areas: Abubakar Siddiqui

Ranchi: Secretary of the Mines department Abubakar Siddiqui on Saturday said that the District Mineral Foundation Trust (DMFT) is helpful in taking the state forward on the path of development.

Addressing a workshop he said that DMFT has been brought in to compensate for the ill effects of mining in the mining sector and the development of that area is done through this fund for which there is a need to select the right schemes by the officials through this fund.

While addressing the DDCs and DMOs from the districts present in the workshop he said that DMFT is very important in the context of Jharkhand. At the same time, there is an opportunity for Jharkhand because there are many mining areas like Dhanbad, Bokaro, Chaibasa, and Ramgarh where many development plans can be taken from the funds of DMFT. He said that before taking the schemes, it is important to study its guidelines seriously so that people get the maximum benefit from the right schemes. 

The Mines Secretary said that while giving priority to the districts related to DMF, pure drinking water, health, education and other development schemes should be taken on priority in that area. He directed that DMFT should prepare a roadmap to spend the funds on the development plans of the mining sector.

He said that the government has strengthened the Gram Sabha and provided the power to choose the plans. He said that the gram sabha has been given the right to decide which kind of schemes in the village will benefit the maximum number of people so they should be implemented only after getting the schemes approved by the Gram Sabha.

Addressing the officers he said that the schemes recommended by the people’s representatives should be spent from the DMFT fund only after the approval of the Gram Sabha. 

Mines Director Amit Kumar said that if there is any gap in understanding the guidelines issued by the Government of India regarding DMFT then such a workshop will be helpful also the Ministry of Mines, Government of India plans to amend the 2015 PMKKKY Guidelines, in which suggestions have been expected from the states. through this workshop, It will help in this direction. 

He said that officers should take advantage of this workshop and use DMFT funds in their respective areas for such schemes so that the maximum problems of the people are removed. He said that a roadmap should be prepared for the schemes to be taken under DMFT for the next five years. Shrestha Banerjee, Director, India Just Transition Center gave a presentation about the working of DMFT.

She informed me about the schemes to be taken in the DMF districts with reference to Jharkhand as well as the roadmap of development works under the DMFT fund in that area. Jyoti Singh, Jharkhand Coordinator for Program Management of DMF/PMKKKY gave updated information about the works to be done through DMFT fund in DMF districts of Jharkhand. 

In the workshop, Mines Commissioner Jitendra Kumar Singh, Joint Secretary, Mines Department, Shekhar Jamuar, Deputy Development Commissioners from different districts of Jharkhand, District Mining Officers and officials of the concerned departments were present.