Misplaced priorities? DMF funds in Odisha fail to benefit mining-affected

According to a report by an NGO, "The trends prove that DMF is deviating from its people-centric objective and is failing to serve the intended beneficiaries"

The power supply of greenfield airport at Jharsuguda, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated last Saturday, is funded by proceeds from the District Mineral Foundation (DMF). A sum of Rs 132 million has been provided for the airport's power supply - this is four times the allocations made to address nutrition and development issues in the district.

The misplaced focus in spending DMF funds presents a sombre picture. In Jharsuguda, the under-five mortality rate (U5MR) is 53 per 1,000 live births, while 38 per cent of the children under five is stunted. But Jharsuguda isn't an aberration. 

A study by