India News | National Conference on PESA Held; New Portal, Training Programmes Launched
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Aiming at enhancing governance and development in the Scheduled Areas across the country, the Panchayati Raj Ministry on Thursday launched a new portal and seven specialized training modules designed to enhance effectiveness of the Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) in PESA areas.
New Delhi, Sep 26 (PTI) Aiming at enhancing governance and development in the Scheduled Areas across the country, the Panchayati Raj Ministry on Thursday launched a new portal and seven specialized training modules designed to enhance effectiveness of the Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) in PESA areas.
A National Conference on Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) was inaugurated by Minister of State for Panchayati Raj S. P. Singh Baghel.
Over 500 participants from 10 PESA states, including state Panchayati Raj ministers, senior officials from the central and state Departments, representatives from all three tiers of the Panchayati Raj system and representatives from the NGOs, attended the conference, highlighting a nationwide commitment to the effective implementation of the PESA Act.
The launch of the PESA – GPDP Portal and seven specialized training modules – was an important highlight of the PESA conference.
"These resources are designed to enhance the effectiveness of Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) and training initiatives. The PESA Conference aimed to ensure that the benefits of the PESA Act reach the grassroots level, promoting holistic development in these regions," the ministry said in a statement.
Delivering the keynote address, Baghel stressed on balancing rights and responsibilities.
"We must balance our rights with our responsibilities to effectively implement PESA on the ground... We are committed to making PESA accessible and actionable for the residents at the grassroots level, embodying the ‘Lab to Land' concept”," he said.
Baghel said the Ministry of Panchayati Raj is making concerted efforts to empower the gram sabhas in PESA villages as strong and vibrant platforms, working in close collaboration with all line ministries and departments and the state governments to ensure effective and holistic development.
He also emphasized on the crucial role of women in implementation of PESA.
“The empowerment and active participation of women in governance are paramount to the success of PESA in Scheduled Areas. Adequate funds, infrastructure, and access to better living standards, health, and education are essential to ensuring the all-round development of our tribal communities. Through these initiatives, we are committed to creating a brighter and more inclusive future for all," he said.
Baghel further highlighted that the training modules released today are not merely theoretical but completely action-oriented, with practical steps included in every module to ensure ease of implementation.
“The initiative of creating Gram Panchayat Development Plans under PESA provisions will prove to be transformative, as it expands the trainees' understanding and enables them to implement the plans without practical difficulties,” he added.
Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Ministers from Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana shared the progress, interventions and initiatives of their respective states towards the effective implementation of PESA.
The transformative steps taken by the Government of India was also discussed, which include the Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) and the recently approved Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan, which aims to bridge critical gaps in social infrastructure, health, education and livelihood through convergence of government schemes to ensure sustainable and holistic development of tribal areas based on the learnings and success of PM JANMAN.
The action-oriented training modules developed under the PESA Act, 1996, address critical areas, including Prevention of Land Alienation, Strengthening Gram Sabha, Control Over Money Lending, Customary Mode of Dispute Resolution, Intoxication, Minor Forest Produce, and Minor Minerals.
These modules aim to empower PESA Gram Sabhas by providing comprehensive guidance on their delineated powers, enabling them to generate and manage Own Source Revenue (OSR), and preserving their socio-cultural norms and traditions.
To further bolster PESA implementation, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has introduced initiatives such as the Functional Activity Mapping Dashboard for monitoring State actions on the 29 Subjects outlined in the eleventh schedule of the Constitution, the PESA Training Manual for Vth Schedule Areas, and the PESA–GPDP Portal to facilitate village-based development planning.
These efforts reaffirm the commitment to ensuring that the benefits of the PESA Act are effectively delivered to tribal communities in alignment with its true spirit, the ministry said.
The purpose of the national conference on the PESA Act is to highlight the experiences of various stakeholders working in the field of PESA through panel discussions, harmonize the PESA Act with other relevant laws such as the State Panchayat Act, Forest Rights Act, Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, and Land Alienation Act, and to encourage Jharkhand and Odisha to finalize and officially enact their PESA rules.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)