The Central government has asked the states to step-up the spending under the District Mining Fund (DMF) programme.
The move comes as just 24 % of the Rs 23,606-crore mopped up under the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) was actually spent.
The PMKKKY is aimed at providing welfare to those affected by mining operations.
Under the programme, a portion of revenues (10-30 % of the royalty proceeds from the minerals) is earmarked for development activities in mining regions.