Secretary Vivek Bharadwaj to inaugurate a Regional Conference on the Strengthening of Panchayats at Ranchi, Jharkhand
Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati
Raj, Vivek Bharadwaj will inaugurate a Two-Day Regional Conference on the
Strengthening of Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, popularly known
as PESA Act, on 4th – 5th March 2024 at Ranchi, Jharkhand. Ministry of
Panchayati Raj, Government of India, in collaboration with the Department of
Panchayati Raj, Government of Jharkhand, is organising this Regional
Conference. Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Dr Chandra
Shekhar Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Panchayati Raj,
Government of Jharkhand Dr Rajeev Arun Ekka and Joint Secretary, Ministry of
Panchayati Raj Mamta Varma will also be present on the occasion. senior
officers from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, NIRD&PR, State Departments of
Panchayati Raj, as well as elected representatives of Panchayats from the
participating States will also attend the conference.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is committed to ensure
that the benefits of PESA Act reach its target beneficiaries in line with the
true spirit of the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled
Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA Act). This Conference marks the second in the series,
representing the ongoing efforts of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj to promote
the effective adoption and implementation of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled
Areas) Act 1996 (PESA). With the participation of State Departments of
Panchayati Raj, Tribal Development, Forest, Revenue and Excise from Andhra
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Telangana, the Regional Conference
on PESA aims to evaluate the progress of these States in the implementation of
PESA and foster a shared outlook on its impact at the grassroots level. In
addition to governmental bodies, several Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)/ Non-Governmental
Organizations (NGOs) working towards the empowerment of
Scheduled Tribes have been invited to contribute to the discourse.
The conference will
feature well-designed sessions focusing on (i) Effectiveness of Gram Sabhas in
PESA Areas including their role in ease of living in these areas, (ii)
Discussion on Powers Devolved to PESA Area on Resources (Minor Forest Produce,
Minor Minerals, Land Laws, Money Lending Laws and enforcement of Excise related
provisions in PESA Areas), (iii) Demo on PESA MIS Dashboard (Prototype) by NIC,
(iv) Role of Non-Government Stakeholders in strengthening implementation of
PESA and (v) Enforcement of Forest Rights Act in PESA areas, which have been
meticulously planned to address pertinent issues and foster meaningful
discussions on relevant aspects of PESA implementation among stakeholders.
The
first two-day Region Conference on
Strengthening of PESA held at Pune, Maharashtra during 11th – 12th January
2024, saw active participation from five States, namely
Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The main objective of
the PESA Regional Conference is to assess the progress made by the States in
implementing the PESA Act and to develop a common vision on its impact at the
grassroots level. The Conference aims to foster collaboration and discussions
among participating States on enhancing the implementation of the PESA Act for
the sustainable development of tribal communities in Scheduled Areas.