BHUBANESWAR: The long-awaited Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA), will be implemented in Odisha from September to empower tribal communities with local self-governance in scheduled areas, said Panchayati Raj minister Rabi Narayan Naik on Monday.
The minister said the implementation of PESA will be discussed at a meeting of the state cabinet this month. “It is expected that the cabinet will approve its implementation for the all-round development of tribal communities in the state,” he added.
Naik said the government has completed the consultation process for the purpose. Opinions of experts on tribal culture, history and livelihoods, and those working for the welfare of the tribal communities have been taken by the government.
“The state government has conducted many consultative meetings with various stakeholder departments. After considering objections/suggestions, it has modified the draft PESA Rules and shared them with all stakeholder departments to review and provide constructive feedback,” the minister said adding, all these processes have been completed. The chief minister has also discussed the matter at a high-level meeting recently, he said. Naik said the Act will be implemented after discussion in the cabinet. It will also be discussed during the monsoon session of the Assembly beginning September 22. However, implementation of the Act does not depend on discussion in the Assembly, he added.
Official sources said the state government has incorporated the provisions of PESA in the Orissa Grama Panchayats Act, 1964. The draft notification for Odisha Grama Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Rules, 2023, has already been published in Odisha gazette on November 10, 2023.
