A Dig At The Poor

District Mineral Foundations were set up to improve the lives of people affected by mining. But maladministration is defeating its raison d'etre.

- Chandra Bhushan

ONE OF the most important but least talked about legislations enacted by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is the District Mineral Foundation (DMF),which was instituted in 2015 under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, to “work for the interest and benefit of persons, and areas affected by mining-related operations”. This is the first legislation in the history of independent India that recognises the rights of people to benefit from their natural resources, in this case, minerals. The fact that India’s richest mining districts are inhabited by some of the country’s most deprived population prompted the government to set up the DMF. Mining companies have to give an amount equal to 10-30 percent of the royalty to DMFs for investments to improve the lives of mining-affected people.