Odisha govt to soon implement PESA Act: Minister

The Odisha government will soon implement the Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas Act, 1996, a state minister said on Thursday. A proposal to enforce the Act will be brought in by my department in the next state cabinet meeting for consideration and approval. Panchayatiraj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik said.

The Odisha government will soon implement the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, a state minister said on Thursday. The PESA Act was enacted in 1996, giving similar powers to tribal communities in Scheduled Areas to self-govern. ''A proposal to enforce the Act will be brought in by my department in the next state cabinet meeting for consideration and approval.'' Panchayatiraj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik said. ''We have also taken the views of NGOs, tribal community leaders, 41 government departments and the public on the Act,'' Naik said. The minister said his department has also put forth a detailed presentation before the Tribal Advisory Committee (TAC). Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana have framed PESA rules, while Odisha and Jharkhand are yet to do it. The legislation restores and protects the rights of tribal communities over their land, water, forest resources, culture, and governance systems. It also extends decentralised democracy to tribal communities by empowering tribal Gram Sabhas, officials said.