Odisha falters on DMF fund spends despite topping others in collection

State has spent less than a quarter of Rs 7,909 crore it collected by June end; 3,617 of 12,605 projects under DMF yet to take off

Odisha seems to have dragged its feet on expending funds accruing to the District Mineral Foundation (DMF). The state tops others in collection but trails the pan-India average in execution of projects and utilizing funds.

Though Rs 7,909.25 crore has been allocated in Odisha, only Rs 1,672.34 crore has been spent (as on June 30, 2019), meaning a utlisation rate of only 21 per cent. The state has commissioned 12,605 projects under DMF, 3,617 of which are yet to take off. As many as 5021 projects have been completed and 3967 others are ongoing. 

Data available on the Union mines