By Mayukh Goswami

Mangaldai: The first meeting of the District Mineral Foundation Trust of Darrang formed to decide on developmental programmes to be taken up in mining affected areas under the Prime Minister Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) was held on at the Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Wednesday. The meeting chaired by Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Dass has approved electricity connection work for 19 nos of Lower Primary schools under seven GPs with maximum nos of brick klins in the district. The execution of work will cost around rupees ten lakhs which is around ten percent of the forest royalty collected by the district in the last financial year as earmarked in the guidelines of the scheme. Taking part in the discussion member Mayukh Goswami representing voluntary organisation Crystal Vision raised issues on illegal practices of a section of brick klin owners and measures to check forest royalty evasion practices. Earlier Additional Deputy Commissioner Navajyoti Oja explained about the purpose of the District Mineral Foundation in approval of the development programmes and also its monitoring among other. The meeting was also attended by other members including Assistant Commissioner Kamaljit Sarma, Inspector of Schools Madhab Ch Deka, Joint Director of Health Dr Ruplal Nunisa  representatives of MP, MLA s and local brick klin owners association among others.