Bhubaneswar, Sept. 29 -- A performance audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) of the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) trusts and the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) revealed that funds meant to compensate people bearing the environmental and social costs of mining in Odisha's mineral-bearing districts were spent on a hockey stadium, government quarters, road widening, hospital digitisation, foreign university studies, and government vehicles.

The performance audit covering the period from 2015-16 to 2023-24 found that of the Rs.10,104.28 crore spent in the six audited districts (Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal and Nabarangpur), only Rs.5,477.75 crore, or...