NGT alleges misuse of DMFT fund, seeks response from Mineral dept

Bhilwara: National Green Tribunal Central Zonal Bench Bhopal has taken a strict stance on the issue of District Mineral Fund not being utilized properly in mining affected areas as per rules.

While registering a PIL filed by Bhilwara based environmentalist Babulal Jaju through advocate Deeksha Chaturvedi, the bench of Justice Shivkumar Singh and expert member Dr. Afroz Ahmed issued notices to Chief Secy, Principal Secy Mineral Resources Department, Member Secretary Rajasthan State Pollution Control Mandal and other officers and sought response.

Jaju said in the petition that the objective of the DMFT fund is to address the socio-economic challenges faced by communities living in mining-affected areas. A sum of Rs 19,000 crore has been collected nationally through the DMF scheme since 2015 and only 55% of it has been utilised.

Petitioner informed that Rs 6,000 cr in Rajasthan are deposited in the DMFT fund. He said that in Bhilwara every year, about Rs 300 cr comes into fund from mining royalty, which is being spent against the rules due to political reasons.