PANAJI
The South Goa District Mineral Fund (DMF) will be spending nearly 70 per cent of the total Rs 117 crore on areas within a 10 km radius of the mining leases.
Considering that Goa is a small state, the Managing Committee of South DMF has resolved to consider areas up to 10 km from the boundary of a mining lease as directly affected areas, rather than the Centre’s 15 km radius under the Pradhan Mantri Khan Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY).
During its recent meeting, the Committee resolved to consider areas up to 10 km from the boundary of mining leases as directly affected areas for implementing DMF projects. The indirectly affected area would be up to 25 km from the lease boundary.
A substantial amount of over Rs 117 crore is available for spending with South Goa DMF, of which 70 per cent of the funds would be utilised in the areas directly impacted by mining.
The decision was taken after the Managing Committee noted that mining leases in Goa are small in size, and thus the radius needs to be revised in the larger interest of the impacted people.
During its meeting held last month, both North and South Goa DMF in principle accepted the revised PMKKKY guidelines, notified in January, and decided to include sectors like Housing, Agriculture, and Animal Husbandry as priority sectors.
As per the PMKKKY guidelines, areas not extending beyond 15 km from the boundary of a mining lease are considered directly impacted mining areas, and indirectly affected areas are those beyond 15 km and within a 25 km radius.
The Committee noted that 30 per cent of the funds should be spent only in the indirectly affected areas for the larger public good.
The government has so far e-auctioned nine mineral blocks, which include Cudnem-Cormolem, Surla Sonshi, Advalpale-Tivim, Cudnem, Tivim-Pirna, Kalay in Sanguem, Bicholim-Mulgao, Shirigao-Mayem, and Monte-de-Sirigao mining blocks. However, only one mineral block is located in the South.
Three more mineral blocks, of which two are in the South, are set for e-auction this month.
