Jan Sangram Parishat has taken strong exception to the district administration’s move to utilise the amount from the District Mineral Fund (DMF) for extending financial assistance to those affected by mining activities to take up income-generating activities. In a press release, Shivakumar Malagi, parishat State organising secretary, along with T.M. Shivakumar, Srishail Aladahalli and other district unit members, while reacting to the recent preliminary meeting of those affected by mining activities at Sandur to elicit the kind of assistance they sought, have pointed out that the move was against the guidelines issued by the State government.
They apprehended that the fund was being used to implement populist schemes for getting political mileage ahead of the elections to the Assembly. According to them, the guidelines specify that the funds should be utilised for the common good and welfare of the people in the areas affected by mining, and give an assurance that financial assistance will be extended to individuals would be in violation of the guidelines as it would only benefit the politically powerful.
The parishat has urged the government to allot ₹ 2 crore each to the gram panchayats in the affected areas and ask them to chalk out a detailed plan of action for reclamation and rehabilitation of people and areas ravaged by mining activities. The names of beneficiaries of the schemes proposed should be approved in gram sabhas, it has said.
They hoped that the Deputy Commissioner would give wide publicity before holding such meetings in future and chalk out plans in a transparent way.
