Bhubaneswar: Union Mines minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday said District Mineral Foundations (DMF) have been formed in only 13 out of the 30 districts of Odisha.
After a meeting with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the Secretariat here, Tomar told mediapersons, “The talks were regarding formation of the DMFs in the State. The chief minister assured me that he will ensure early formation of the DMF in other districts.”
It is worth mentioning that the Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015 mandates the formation of DMFs in the districts where mining activities are being undertaken to take care of the interests of locals.
The DMFs will have to consult the gram panchayats in the district while taking major decisions and will provide periodic reports on the projects undertaken by them.
Besides, the chief minister has given his nod to provide a bauxite block to Nalco for expansion purposes.
Interestingly, the Posco issue did not figure in the talks between the Chief Minister and Union Mines Minister.
Tomar also attended the foundation day function of Nalco here. Earlier in the day, he inaugurated the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) office in Bhubaneswar.
Meanwhile, the State’s Mines minister Prafulla Mallick said, “Legal aspects are being explored to transform abandoned mines into tourist spots. This can be done with a joint effort of the Centre and State government.