Ramen Deka directs districts to prepare at least a two-year roadmap for mining-affected areas, with special focus on Bastar.
RAIPUR (India CSR): Chhattisgarh Governor Ramen Deka has directed district administrations to prioritise environmental protection, education, healthcare and infrastructure while using District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds, and prepare at least a two-year development roadmap for mining-affected communities across the state.
Deka issued the directions at a meeting held at Lok Bhavan in Raipur on November 5, 2026, to review DMF activities, development work in mining-affected areas and plans for the coming years.
He said DMF resources should be used to improve living conditions in communities affected by mining, with pollution control treated as a key priority. He also called for environmental experts to be involved while preparing long-term plans.
Two-Year Roadmap
The Governor asked officials to develop a minimum two-year roadmap for effective and planned utilisation of DMF funds.
He said environmental protection projects should be undertaken in mining-affected areas and industries should be engaged to ensure compliance with prescribed environmental standards and guidelines.
Deka also called for environmental protection activities to be implemented in a campaign-oriented manner rather than through isolated interventions.
DMF funds are intended to support people and areas affected by mining activities, with spending commonly covering healthcare, education, drinking water, livelihoods, environmental protection and infrastructure.
Scientific Sand Mining
The Governor stressed the need for scientific and environmentally sustainable methods of extracting sand from rivers.
He called for a special campaign to promote scientific mining practices at sand mines and underlined the relationship between river sand and water conservation.
The direction places environmental sustainability alongside social development as a priority in planning mineral-area expenditure.
Community-Led Planning
Deka asked district collectors to engage directly with residents to understand their requirements and priorities before preparing DMF action plans.
He said elected representatives should also be taken into confidence during implementation and administrators should clearly communicate which public demands can be addressed through DMF resources.
Regular DMF meetings should be organised to review project progress and take timely decisions, he added.
Bastar Gets Focus
The Governor directed officials to give high priority to development projects supported through DMF funds in the Bastar region.
He said people who have returned to the mainstream should be connected with government welfare programmes and provided support for rehabilitation, social security and improvement in their living standards.
The meeting also emphasised completion of houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in mining-affected areas and better delivery of other government welfare schemes to eligible beneficiaries.
Tribal Healthcare
Deka sought greater attention to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups living in mining-affected regions.
He called for special medical camps and awareness programmes focused on health and lifestyle, with schemes designed according to the specific requirements of these communities.
The Governor said targeted efforts should be made to improve access to healthcare for vulnerable tribal populations.
Asset Verification
The Governor also stressed the creation of durable assets through DMF expenditure and called for physical verification of completed projects.
He said verification should establish whether sanctioned works have actually been completed and whether communities are receiving the intended benefits.
The meeting also reviewed government support for families displaced by mining activities. Officials were asked to ensure effective implementation of schemes designed for affected and displaced households.
Digital Monitoring
Mineral Resources Department Secretary P. Dayanand informed the Governor about ongoing DMF activities and said information on individual projects and works is available through DMF Portal 2.0.
Chhattisgarh introduced DMF Portal 2.0 to improve monitoring, financial management, transparency and accountability in the use of mineral foundation funds. The portal framework also incorporates provisions linked to the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana.
The Union government has also highlighted DMF Portal 2.0 as a tool for data-based planning and real-time monitoring of development in mining-affected areas.
Governor’s Secretary C. R. Prasanna, Mineral Resources Department officials and collectors from mining-affected districts attended the meeting.
