Lagatar24 Desk
Ranchi: The Jharkhand High Court heard a contempt petition related to the non-implementation of the PESA Rules, during which the Secretary of the Panchayati Raj Department, Manoj Kumar, appeared in person before the court and was directed to remain personally present at the next hearing as well.
Court Questions Delay in PESA Rules Notification
During the hearing, the court asked whether the draft rules under the PESA Act had been placed before the state cabinet. The department secretary sought time until Tuesday to submit a clear response, which the court allowed. However, the bench orally cautioned that if the required information is not provided by the next date, the court may adopt a stringent approach.
Earlier Orders to Continue Until Next Hearing
The court also ordered that the interim stay imposed during the previous hearing on allotments following the auction of sand ghats will remain in force until the next date of hearing.
Contempt Petition Filed by Tribal Forum
The contempt petition has been filed by the Adivasi Buddhijeevi Manch, alleging continued non-compliance with court directions on the implementation of the PESA framework. The matter was heard by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Rajesh Shankar. Senior advocate Ajit Kumar represented the petitioners and presented arguments highlighting the prolonged delay in framing and enforcing the rules.
