PESA comes into force in Madhya Pradesh from today

The Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act or `PESA' has been implemented in Madhya Pradesh from Saturday, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced here.

The implementation of the Act will empower the Gram Sabhas in tribal-dominated villages by providing them more powers, and thus improve local residents' lives, he said.

"There was a demand for the implementation of PESA for the last several years. We have implemented the Act from today," Chouhan said at a program at the Nehru Stadium here on the occasion of the death anniversary of tribal revolutionary Tantya Bhil.

Earlier, he had announced in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Jabalpur on November 15 that PESA will be implemented in the state.

PESA was enacted by the Union government in 1996 to ensure self-governance through gram sabhas (village assemblies) for people living in scheduled areas, including tribal populations.

The chief minister on Saturday also reiterated that criminal cases filed against tribal people under minor provisions will be withdrawn.

The state government will provide `patta' (title) of land to the tribals along with free sand so that they can construct their own houses, Chouhan said.

Tribals will be also given the right to brew liquor in the traditional way and sell it in the heritage category under the new excise policy, he said.

''Rich people run liquor factories and the poor tribals are arrested for making traditional liquor, this will not happen any longer,'' he said.

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