DMF constituted in 12 Odisha districts

All miners who were awarded leases before Jan 12 this year need to contribute 30% of royalty rate; others must deposit 10% with DMF

The Odisha government has constituted the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) in 12 of its 30 districts.

As per the DMF notification by the Central government, all miners who were awarded leases before January 12 this year need to contribute an amount equal to 30 per cent of the royalty rate. Those who have bagged leases later would deposit 10 per cent with the DMF.

"The chief minister informed me that DMF has been formed in 12 districts and the remaining districts would be covered shortly", said Union minister for steel & mines Narendra Singh Tomar.

The revenue divisional commissioner or the district collector would chair the board of trustees of DMF. Member of the Lok Sabha and member of the legislative assembly (MLA) of the concerned constituency where the mineral concession is located would be the ex-officio members of the trust. A maximum of three members from the panchayati raj institutions and urban local bodies from the mineral bearing area can be nominated by the government to the board. The board chairman can also invite other officials to the board meetings whom he considers necessary. The board needs to meet at least twice in a fiscal.

The Union minister assured that a bauxite mine would be allocated to National Aluminium Company (Nalco) shortly.

Nalco is set to bag the Pottangi mines with 70 million tonne bauxite reserve. The mine would feed Nalco's new refinery of one million tonne capacity planned at Damanjodi. Nalco is adding a new stream to its existing Damanjodi refinery having capacity of 2.275 million tonne per annum (mtpa).

Tomar said, Nalco has committed to supply 50,000 tonne of aluminium per year for the downstream units coming up at the aluminium park at Angul. The downstream park is being developed jointly by Nalco and state owned land acquisition agency Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco).