Union Minister of Coal & Mines, Shri G. Kishan Reddy, inaugurated the two day  National District Mineral Foundation (DMF) Summit 2026 at the SCOPE Convention Centre, New Delhi today. On the sidelines of the Summit, an exhibition alao inaugurated by Shri Reddy showcased impactful initiatives and success stories from various States, highlighting the transformative role of DMF in mining-affected regions.

 

The two-day National DMF Summit commenced today in the presence of Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal, bringing together key stakeholders to deliberate on effective utilisation of DMF funds for sustainable and inclusive development.

 

 

In his address, Shri G. Kishan Reddy emphasised that local communities have a significant contribution to the nation’s natural resources and must receive equitable benefits. He underlined the need to prioritise environmental protection, livelihood restoration, and overall development in mining-affected areas.

 

Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal highlighted that around 200 mining blocks have been auctioned in the current financial year, reflecting ongoing reforms in the sector aimed at ensuring benefits reach last-mile beneficiaries.

 

The Summit, themed “Effective Utilisation of District Mineral Foundation Funds for Aspirational District Programme (ADP) and Aspirational Block Programme (ABP) Areas,” focuses on outcome-oriented utilisation through convergence, transparency, and monitoring.

 

Shri Sushil Kumar Lohani, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, highlighted the Panchayat Advancement Index portal, which enables data-driven governance through 435 indicators across nine themes aligned with Sustainable Development Goals.

 

Shri Rohit Kumar, Additional Secretary, NITI Aayog, emphasised the “3Cs” — Convergence, Collaboration, Competition — and “3Fs” — Funds, Functions, Functionaries — as key drivers for transforming Aspirational areas into Inspirational ones.

 

 

During Day 1, states of  Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand shared best practices, focusing on convergence, saturation-based implementation, and maximising developmental impact.

 

The Summit is expected to strengthen coordination among stakeholders and enhance effective utilisation of DMF funds for inclusive and sustainable development.

 

At the exhibition organized on the sidelines, DMF beneficiaries from the states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu showcased their products. The Hon’ble Union Minister of Coal and Mines  interacted with them also.

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Prajith Kumar

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