Panaji: In a scathing indictment of the state government’s mismanagement of the Rs 180-crore district mineral foundation funds, the high court of Bombay at Goa has come down heavily for “non-utilisation” or “misutilisation” of funds and has said “the state of affairs is shocking”.Terming the composition of the foundation as “completely vague”, the high court said the government has given itself a “large discretion to entrust the public funds meant for benefit of mining affected persons, in this case Rs 180 crore, to anyone” it chooses. “It is surprising that for handling such huge public funds state has not framed rules setting up a committee of officers in ex-officio capacity, as is generally done,” a two-judge bench of justices N M jamdar and Prithviraj K Chavan noted in their order, adding “almost all members are private persons”.The court described as “colossal neglect’ the failure to utilise the funds for the mining-affected, many of them lacking basic needs like drinking water.“Village after village affected by mining is approaching us for something as basic as drinking water. The mining affected cannot be made to toil for the benefits which are rightfully theirs and in whose name crores of rupees are collected by the Foundations,” the judges said.The high court said though large sums were collected by the state, but it failed to provide even drinking water. “We repeatedly asked the learned additional government advocate for an explanation for such colossal neglect, but none is forthcoming. We are at loss for words to describe the apathy,” they said.The Goa district mineral foundation rules, 2016 came into force on January 12, 2015. But both north and south district foundations were notified only on December 7, 2017. While the court passed a few orders during Sonshi’s worst drinking water crisis, the foundations held their first meeting only on March 23, 2018.The court had passed a series of orders, the last one on March 7, 2018 to ensure drinking water to Sonshi and also to lay a pipeline for supply. But the court said that despite availability of funds, a similar Sonshi-like water crisis exists in Pissurlem.Noting that the state has failed to give particulars about where it has invested the money, the court said: “Our first concern is to ensure that the amount of Rs 180 crore earmarked for the benefit of the mining affected persons is not misspent.”Putting a Rs 2-lakh curb on the amount that could be disbursed from the mineral foundations fund, the court also asked both the district collectors to attend the foundations meetings under their jurisdiction and apprise the court of the development and decisions taken.“We also direct the foundations/state government to place on affidavit as to what steps the state government has contemplated in respect of activities mentioned in the rule,” it said.It also asked the state government to place on record the details of the Goa Iron Ore Permanent Fund and where the amounts have been invested.Activists and others see vast scope in utilising the funds. “We believe that mineral resources belong to the local communities and the public. All the funds and even ill-gotten money after recovery should be used for stakeholders and the environment,” Abhijeet Prabhudesai, a south-Goa based activist, said.A hospital in Usgao, one of the mining areas, lacks several important facilities. “There are so many accidents in these areas and a trauma unit can be started to render quick help to victims,” a local resident said. The exhausted mines can be rehabilitated for community benefit. “The rehabilitation of Sakhali mine through plantations and aquaculture is just one such example. We can definitely have more,” an activist said.

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