LAGATAR24 NETWORK
Ranchi, Feb. 5: Former Chief Minister Raghubar Das has demanded Chief Minister Hemant Soren to implement ‘Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) in Jharkhand.
In a press note, Das accused the ruling JMM-Congress combine of befooling tribals.
“The present government is doing injustice to the tribals of Jharkhand. The implementation of PESA is deliberately delayed to mint money out of the resources of the state,” Das said.
“I demand on behalf of the population of the scheduled areas of the entire state that the state government should immediately implement the PESA rules and transfer full legal powers to the rural institutions and village panchayats at the earliest,” Das further said.
Das made the demand for implementation of the PESA Act in Jharkhand in the wake of a PIL filed by Adivasi Buddhijivi Manch in the High Court to seek direction from the government to bring Jharkhand under the purview of this Act.
The Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 or PESA is a law enacted by the Government of India for ensuring self-governance through traditional Gram Sabhas for people living in the Scheduled Areas of India.
Das said he as the chief minister had taken steps to implement the PESA Act in Jharkhand based on draft rules issued by the Central Government in 2016.
He said that to vest all such power—as mentioned in the Fifth and Sixth Schedule of the Constitution—to local bodies under notified areas, his government had prepared a draft in 2019.
“Necessary steps were taken to delegate powers to the traditional heads of Panchayats, Gram Sabhas, Gram Pradhan, Manki, Munda, and others. But in the meantime, the election was announced and the government was changed and hence we could not implement it. The present government that claims to be the well-wisher of tribals should explain as to why it is dragging its feet? Das asked.
Das said that PESA Act is necessary for the overall empowerment of tribals as it gives legal status to traditional tribal institutions to decide planning and developments as well as their right on minor minerals.
