Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh
November 19-20, 2016
A civil-society meeting-cum-workshop was organized by the Centre for Science and Environment to discuss various issues related to DMFs, including regulatory aspects, expectations from DMFs in various districts for mining affected people, aspects of community engagement in decision-making, and what journalists should watch out for when reporting on the subject.
DMFs are statutory trusts set up under India’s central mining law -- the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation Act) 1957 (as amended in 2015) -- with the mandate to work for the interest and benefit of persons and areas affected by mining-related operations. DMF provides an unique opportunity to address the historical social and economic inequity in that has for years burdened India’s mining affected areas. Currently, DMFs have been set up in most of the mining districts in the country, and are in various stages of being operational.
The DMF meeting on November 19 in Bilaspur was attended by community representatives and NGOs working on various human development issues in the mining districts of Chhattisgarh. 8 journalists representing 8 media houses also attended the workshop.
This was followed on November 20 by site visit and on-ground meeting/ interaction with people in mining-affected villages of Korba – the biggest mining district in Chhattisgarh in terms of DMF money. The field visit was rounded off with an interaction with local journalists from Korba.
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