The Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Durgadas Uikey today informed Rajya Sabha that the subject matter of the question pertains to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has informed that:

"To implement “The provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), 1996 to the Fifth Schedule Areas of Odisha, the Government of Odisha has incorporated the provisions of PESA Act in their State Panchayati Raj Act, i.e., the Orissa Grama Panchayats Act, 1964.

The Government of Odisha has informed that draft notification for Odisha Grama Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Rules, 2023, has been published in the Odisha Gazette on 10.11.2023, and objections/ suggestions have been invited from all persons likely to be affected. After that, the State Government has conducted personal hearings of the persons/organisations who had submitted objections/ suggestions on the said draft notification. Further, the Principal Secretary, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department (Odisha), has conducted many consultative meetings with various Stakeholder Departments. After considering objections/suggestions, the State Government has modified the draft PESA Rules and shared them with all Stakeholder Departments to review and provide constructive feedback.

"Panchayat," being "Local Government", is a State subject and part of State List of Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. Panchayats are set up and operate through the respective State Panchayati Raj Acts which may vary from State to State, subject to the provisions of the Constitution. Accordingly, all matters relating to Panchayats, including to ensure the effective implementation of the PESA Rules at the village level, to monitor the review compliance with PESA provisions such as gram sabha, minor forest produce and natural resource management, fall within the purview of the State Government.

However, to ensure the effective implementation of the PESA in the State of Odisha, Ministry of Panchayati Raj monitors the compliance with PESA provisions from time to time through National/Regional conferences, workshops, writeshops, etc. Recently, the Ministry has organised two Regional Conferences on PESA on 11th and 12th January, 2024, at Pune, Maharashtra, and on 4th and 5th March, 2024, at Ranchi, Jharkhand with a view 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 Ministry has also organized a 'National Conference on PESA Act' on 26th September, 2024 at New Delhi. A National PESA Writeshop has also been held at Pune on 13 and 14 May 2025. PESA Mahotsav, 2025 was celebrated on the occasion of PESA Day in Andhra Pradesh to promote and strengthen self-governance in Scheduled Areas. The event included sports competitions, traditional tribal games, cultural performances, and a Craft Bazaar and Food Festival showcasing tribal art, handicrafts, and indigenous cuisine.

Ministry of Panchayati Raj has recently developed 10 PESA indicators to facilitate State Governments in assessing performance, identifying gaps and taking appropriate measures to strengthen the implementation of PESA in the State. These 10 PESA Indicators are- Alignment of State Panchayat Raj Acts with PESA Provisions; State PESA Rules Notified; Provisions in State PESA Rules in conformity with PESA Act; Amendments in State Acts/Rules/Regulations Policies /Executive Directions of other line departments to comply with PESA Act; GPDP plan upload of PESA Gram Sabhas; Mapping of PESA Villages/Panchayats in LG directory; Deployment of PESA Staff at State Level; PESA Trainings; Orientation of PESA Gram Sabha under RGSA and Uploading of photos/videos and minutes of Gram Sabha on 'Panchayat NIRNAY' portal."

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