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Path to Progress... Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY)

by Madhavi Mihir Bhuta (National Executive Member, BJP Mahila Morcha)
Feb 18, 2021
Path to Progress... Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY), Knowledge, KonexioNetwork.com

Bharatiya landmass contains a multitude of  resources that has boosted our economic growth for ages. The Gangetic plains in the Northern Bharat as well as the Sahyadri plains in the Southern Bharat are flourishing and fertile lands.

Apart from Agriculture and Cultivation, another major natural resource is Minerals like Coal (4th largest reserves in the world), Iron Ore and Manganese Ore (7th largest reserves in the world in 2013), Mica and Bauxite (5th largest reserves in the world in 2013), Chromite, Natural Gas, Diamonds, Limestone and Thorium.

Mining is undertaken on a huge scale across the nation. This is a source of livelihood for millions of families. Mining also poses great risk for the laborers involved in the mining industry. It is one of the most hazardous industries, and is infamous for employing a high number of children.

According to the International Labour Organization, around one million children aged Five to Seventeen work in mines throughout the world!

Mining generally takes place in remote areas where other forms of employment opportunities were difficult to find, even for adults. Mining activities was an informal industry till recently.

When the Narendra Modi Government came to power in 2014, their idea of Governance was not limited to forming strategies on paper but actually implementing it to create change in lives of the commonest man from the remotest corner on the nation. Affirming the slogan of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’, each sector of society was included in the growth machinery.

On 17th September 2015, the Central Government announced the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) to provide for the welfare of areas and people, affected by mining related operations, utilising the funds generated by the District Mineral Foundations (DMFs).

The Standing Committee for Coal & Steel recommended few observations and recommendations regarding utilisation of DMFs.

The 60% of Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) fund should be utilised under high priority requirements.

A) Drinking Water Supply: Centralized purification systems, Water treatment plants, Permanent/temporary water distribution network including standalone facilities for drinking water and laying of piped water supply systems.

B) Health Care : The focus must be on creation of primary/secondary health care facilities in the affected areas.

Creation of health care centre is not sufficient unless they are equipped with necessary staff, required equipments and regular supplies to create an effective and smooth operation.

C) Environment Preservation and Pollution Control Measures : Effluent treatment for plants, prevention of pollution of the streams, lakes, ponds, ground water, other water sources in and around the region where Mines are situated, Measures for controlling air and dust pollution caused by Mining operations and dumps, Mine Drainage system, Mine Pollution Prevention Technologies and Measures for working on abandoned Mines as well as Air, Water and Surface Pollution control mechanism required  for environment friendly and sustainable Mine development.

D) Education : Construction of School Buildings, additional class rooms, Laboratories, Libraries, Art and Craft rooms, Sports infrastructure and facilities along with Toilet blocks, Drinking Water provisions and Residential hostels for students/teachers, e-learning set-up, transport facilities (bus/van/ cycle/rickshaw) in remote areas are essential areas where the fund would be utilised.

E) Welfare of Women and Children : Special programmes for addressing problems of Maternal and Child health, Malnutrition, Infectious diseases, Welfare of aged and disabilities people would be taken up under the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY).

F) The Scheme would include training centres for Skill Development and Self Employment Programmes to enhance the livelihood support and Income generation. PMKKKY would also encourage Self Help groups for economic activities and provide forward and backward linkage.

G) Sanitation : Collection, Transportation and Disposal of waste, cleaning of public places, provision of proper drainage and sewage treatment plant, provision for disposal of fecal sludge, provision of toilets is included under this scheme.

The rest of 40% of PMKKKY would be utilised for a) Physical Infrastructure like roads, bridges, railways and waterways projects. b) Irrigation : Developing alternate sources of irrigation, adoption of suitable and advanced irrigation techniques. c) Energy and Watershed Development : Development of alternate sources of energy (including micro-hydel) and rainwater harvesting systems. Development of Orchards, integrated farming and restoration of Catchments as well as Economic Forestry would be undertaken in PMKKKY.

Alongside, the committee has also notified inclusion of local member(s) of Parliament as Chairman of the respective DMF and not be dominated solely by the bureaucrats.

The committee has included the feedback from the people living in the Mining affected area to determine the efficiency and adequacy of DMFs in the specific areas. Such an arrangement would make the common man aware of his rights entitled under the DMF and they would be able to scrutinise the development initiative being implemented for them.

The committee has recommended special audits of DMFs which would be conducted by the people living in Mining affected areas.   Bringing accountability and providing transparency in the DMFs, the data regarding fund collected, list of beneficiaries and list of directly affected areas should be publicly available on portals.

Raman, a young man of 26 years lived in a remote village of Jharkhand.

He owned a small piece of land that he had inherited where he grew rice. His land was adjacent to the Coal mine and the Mining activity in the surrounding polluted the atmosphere to such an extent that Raman became the victim of Asthma.

Whenever he got Asthma attack due to blasting in Mines and dusty air, he had to undergo treatment at the hospital in the nearby town. The non-availability of essential medical facilities in his own village compelled him to get admitted in town hospital. This hampered his farming activity extremely hugely.

Raman, along with the Sarpanch of his Gram Panchayat, initiated implementing the PMKKKY in his village.

Now, the scheme has changed the lives of residents of Mining village and they are ripping the benefits of being healthy and wealthy citizens.

Hon. Prime Minister’s idea of ‘Naya Bharat’ is not limited to economic growth of the nation. Nor his dream of ‘New India’ implicates strengthening few.

His idea of India is Economically, Physically, Mentally, Socially strengthening every citizen of Bharat. Inclusive growth is the Mantra adopted and followed by Hon. Prime Minister and hence, no corner or area is excluded from his Growth Strategy.

Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) is realisation of this dedicated belief.