State's mineral blocks yield zero royalties for two fiscal years: Min
2
Kendrapada: Odisha reported that 22 major mineral blocks auctioned or allotted since 2022 have not generated any royalties, premiums, or other levies for the fiscal years 2023–24 and 2024–25.
This information was shared by minister of coal and mines, G. Kishan Reddy during a session in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
While 22 mineral blocks were auctioned since 2022, none of them are operational yet. Despite the absence of direct revenue from these mineral blocks, the state has seen substantial collections under the District Mineral Foundation (DMF).
For the fiscal years 2023–24 and 2024–25, Odisha's 30 districts amassed Rs.
4,582.78 crore and Rs. 4,270.88 crore, respectively. The balance available under DMF as of March 31, 2025, stood at Rs. 13,786.71 crore, with an expenditure of Rs. 3,026.10 crore during 2023-24.
The DMF funds are allocated to high-priority projects as outlined in the Odisha DMF Rules, 2015, with no reported diversions. The fund is non-lapsable, allowing unutilized balances to be carried forward for future use. Notably, Sundargarh district collected Rs.
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1,518.27 crore and Rs. 1,620.38 crore during the fiscal years 2023–24 and 2024–25 respectively.
In response to a query from Sukanta Kumar Panigrahi, Reddy highlighted the ministry of mines' new guidelines for the 'Aspirational DMF Programme', issued on July 9, 2025. This initiative aims to align DMF activities with the Aspirational District Programme (ADP) and Aspirational Block Programme (ABP), enhancing outcomes for mining-affected communities.
The programme focuses on five core themes: health & nutrition, education, agriculture & water resources, financial inclusion & skill development, and infrastructure, in line with the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY).
The guidelines, released in Jan 2024, apply to 106 of the 112 aspirational districts, including Kandhamal. However, Boudh district is not classified as an aspirational district. The PMKKKY guidelines emphasizes complementing ongoing state and central govt schemes, with DMFs prioritizing ADP and ABP targets.
In Kandhamal district, three projects have been sanctioned and completed under the DMF, with a total investment of Rs. 18 lakh, according to the minister.
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