BJP Gives More Power To Gram Sabha With New Laws For Tribal In Madhya Pradesh

The Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act aims to protect the tribal population from exploitation with the active involvement of the Gram Sabhas or village councils.

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 17 November 2022 2:50 am

A tribal dance in progress (Representative image)

The BJP ratified the existing Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act in the state to give greater rights to the tribal community, ensuring more safety, in a race against Congress ahead of next year's elections in the state.

The Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act aims to protect the tribal population from exploitation with the active involvement of the Gram Sabhas or village councils.

Addressing the gathering, the Madhya Pradesh governor C. M. Punacha said that the implementation of the PESA Act will empower the gram sabhas.

Under the PESA Act, the Gram sabha will decide whether to give contracts for sand mines, ballast and stones or not. These will first be given to the Tribal Cooperative Society and then the Gram Sabha will give consent for the management of the ponds, fisheries, and cultivation of water chestnuts in them.

Further, the Gram Sabha will decide which work should be done with the MNREGA money and will also see the muster roll of the work.

In tribal areas, only licensed moneylenders will be able to lend money at fixed rates of interest. This information will also have to be given to the Gram Sabha. Anyone found charging additional interest will face action.

If an FIR is registered in a police station in a tribal area, the Gram Sabha will have to be informed and the Gram Sabha will also have the right to inspect schools, health centres, Aanganwadi centres, ashram schools and hostels.

Rolling out the plan, MP Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan said, "Today is the day of social revolution". Highlighting the salient features of the Act, he further said that it would give the rights of water, forest and land to the tribals and no person will be able to grab the land of villagers by deceit, conversion etc.

The Act was implemented in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu, the country's first tribal president.

Assembly elections in the state are scheduled to be held at the end of 2023 and both Congress and BJP are eyeing to woo the tribal population that constitute 21.1 per cent of the state's population.