Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Shri 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 Smt. 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.

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