Rs 1,000 cr fund to develop Odisha's mining-affected areas

The Odisha Mineral Bearing Areas Development Corporation (OMBADC) has received a Rs 1,000 crore fund for development of mining-affected areas in the state, including Dhenkanal, Jharsuguda and Mayurbhanj, said an official on Wednesday.

The official said projects worth Rs 900 crore have been approved for housing, drinking water, sanitation and afforestation activities in the villages.

A total of 691 villages of 30 blocks in eight mineral-bearing districts have been brought under the purview of OMBADC fund for inclusive developmental activities. These districts are Angul, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Kendujhar, Koraput, Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh.

The corporation was incorporated as a non-profit government company in 2014 for carrying forward holistic developmental activities in the mining-affected areas.

Taking a review meeting on the progress of works on Wednesday, Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi directed all departments to implement the schemes of their respective departments on saturation mode covering all eligible households.

Padhi also directed the Panchayati Raj department to complete all the housing projects by December 2017.

Development Commissioner R. Balakrishnan advised to ensure road connectivity along with service availability in all remote and isolated hamlets of the area.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Subash Chnadra Mishra appraised that about 50 per cent of Net Present Value (NPV) collected from the mining leases would be utilized through this corporation for basic developmental activities in the identified villages.

The government has decided to undertake several developmental activities including 29,829 housing units, 196 drinking water projects, 855 hector block plantation, 842 km of avenue plantation, 3,600 hectares of assisted natural regeneration and 9,800 seedling plantation in towns of the mining-affected areas.

--IANS

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