Maharashtra will decide on mineral fund disbursal after budget session

Maharashtra government on Monday said the decision on disbursing Mineral Development Fund to gram panchayats affected by mining activity will be taken in a month's time after the end of the ongoing budget session.

Replying to a calling attention notice, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan told the Legislative Assembly as per the October 2010 order of the Bombay High Court, up to 50 per cent funds from mining revenue can be given to gram panchayats.

"The government feels that there should be a clarity on the issue of (what constitutes) up to 50 per cent. Hence, we sought an opinion from the Law and Judiciary department. The department's views have been received," he said. Speaker Dilip Walse Patil intervened to say that government tends to seek the Law and Judiciary Department's views on matters in which it is "not inclined" to take an early decision.

He said the decision-makers have to take a call on disbursement of the fund and interpret the court decision accordingly. "Since the court has said up to 50 per cent, the government can consider the maximum amount," he said.

"The department has given its opinion and government will take a final decision soon," Chavan added.

Raising the calling attention notice, Shashikant Shinde of NCP said despite repeated demands, the fund has not been disbursed in the last four years to the villages which were affected by mining work.