Chaibasa, July 14: Leader of Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly and senior BJP leader Babulal Marandi on Tuesday alleged large-scale irregularities in the utilisation of the District Mineral Foundation Trust (DMFT) fund in the state and demanded an impartial inquiry into its expenditure, claiming that mining-affected areas have seen little improvement despite receiving substantial financial allocations.
Addressing a public meeting in Chaibasa during his tour of West Singhbhum district, Marandi alleged that the JMM-led state government had failed to implement the objectives of the DMFT, which was introduced to improve the living conditions of people residing in mining-affected regions.
“The DMFT fund was meant for overall development including education, healthcare, roads, drinking water and other basic amenities in mining-affected areas. But the situation has not changed over the past two and a half decades,” Marandi said.
The former chief minister said the DMFT, launched under the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was intended to ensure that communities affected by mining activities directly benefit from the revenue generated through mineral extraction.
Citing official allocations, Marandi claimed that West Singhbhum district had received nearly ₹3,700 crore under the DMFT over the past 10 years, averaging more than ₹300 crore annually. However, he alleged that the funds had failed to translate into meaningful development on the ground.
“Considering the volume of amount, I thought that the problems of the people living in the radius of 5-7 kms of mining areas would have been solved to a great extent. But I did not find any change in the condition during my ongoing tour of the West Singhbhum district,” he said.
Marandi alleged that corruption and mismanagement had prevented the effective utilisation of the fund, resulting in poor infrastructure and inadequate basic services in mining-affected villages.
Recalling his earlier visits to the region as chief minister, he claimed that residents continue to suffer from contaminated drinking water due to mining activities.
“When I had visited the mining areas of the district 25 years ago, I found, among other problems, that people were forced to drink impure red coloured water because of the presence of iron ore. A similar situation continues to persist even today,” he said.
The BJP leader demanded an impartial investigation into the expenditure of the DMFT fund and asserted that the money should be used solely for the welfare and development of people living in mining-affected areas.
“The DMFT fund should be solely utilised in the interest of those affected by mining and for the development of mining areas,” Marandi said.
He also said he would raise the issue before the district administration and in the Jharkhand Assembly. During his visit, Marandi interacted with villagers to understand their grievances and assess the condition of mining-affected communities.
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda and BJP state vice-president Geeta Koda accompanied Marandi during the visit.
