BHUBANESWAR : With the BJP government beginning to settle in, the much-anticipated crackdown on the functioning of District Mineral Foundations (DMFs) and alleged large-scale irregularities seems to be on the anvil.
The state government has decided to evaluate functioning of DMFs and implementation of projects taken up with their funds in mining districts. Rampant corruption in DMF management, misutilisation and misappropriation of funds was a major poll issue for the BJP. With Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, a long-time crusader against such irregularities, at the helm, the DMFs had to come under scanner.
So far Rs 28,220 crore, including Rs 21,810 crore in respect of major minerals, has been collected under DMF from Odisha, which is the highest in the country. Districts of Angul, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Koraput, Rayagada and Mayurbhanj have made maximum contribution to the DMF.
Sources said the Planning and Convergence department has decided to take up the projects implemented in Angul, Jajpur and Jharsuguda districts for evaluation in the first phase. As many as 13,244 projects have been taken up under DMF in the three districts by March this year.
“The evaluation will focus on implementation issues and impact on high priority and other activities in both directly affected and indirectly affected villages.
Independent agency to assess DMF project implementation
It will also examine the implementation mechanism of DMF and interventions on the intended beneficiaries besides finding out the bottlenecks affecting the process,” said the sources.
Even as the DMF rules mandate utilisation of 60 per cent of the funds in priority areas like healthcare, education, environment and pollution control, sanitation, housing, welfare of women, children and elderly people, there were allegations that a large chunk was used in non-priority areas apart from substandard works during the BJD regime.
Sources said around 100 sample villages will be selected for evaluation of projects and feedback taken from at least 10 beneficiary households. An independent agency will examine the cost-effectiveness vis-a-vis the contribution of projects, particularly infrastructure as per the needs of the mining-affected people.
“The agency will conduct a cost-benefit analysis of select projects to find out value for money. This will provide inputs to assess the present status and also opportunities for course correction wherever necessary,” said an official.
Last month, Steel and Mines minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena had assured that the state government would conduct a probe into alleged misappropriation of DMF funds and take action as per rules.