Jharkhand Progresses with PESA Act Implementation

The Jharkhand cabinet approved rules under the PESA Act, which empowers tribal communities and gram sabhas in Scheduled Areas. Despite enacting the law in 1996, Jharkhand had not implemented it until now. The rules include obtaining gram sabhas' consent for mining and defining roles in land acquisition and resource management.

In a significant development, the Jharkhand cabinet has approved the rules under the Panchayat Extension of Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act, according to an official announcement on Tuesday.

The approval, which reflects inclusion of all provisions from the original 1996 Act, was granted during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

With 13 of the state's 24 districts fully under the Fifth Schedule, the Act's provision empowers gram sabhas, particularly concerning consent for mining activities and resource management.

(With inputs from agencies.)