Ranchi: The Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India, is set to organize a Two-Day Regional Conference on the Strengthening of Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, commonly known as the PESA Act, from 4th to 5th March 2024 in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, will inaugurate the event, highlighting the government’s commitment to ensuring the effective adoption and implementation of the PESA Act.
The conference, a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the Department of Panchayati Raj, Government of Jharkhand, aims to evaluate the progress of States, including Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Telangana, in implementing PESA. Elected representatives of Panchayats, senior officers from various ministries, and representatives from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) will participate in the event.
The agenda of the conference includes well-designed sessions addressing critical aspects of PESA implementation, such as the effectiveness of Gram Sabhas in PESA areas, powers devolved to PESA areas on resources, and the role of non-government stakeholders in strengthening PESA implementation. The event will also feature a demonstration on the PESA Management Information System (MIS) Dashboard prototype by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
Dr. Chandra Shekhar Kumar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj; Dr. Rajeev Arun Ekka, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Panchayati Raj, Government of Jharkhand; and Smt. Mamta Varma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, will be present at the conference.
The first two-day Regional Conference on Strengthening of PESA, held in Pune, Maharashtra, in January 2024, witnessed active participation from Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. The conferences aim to foster collaboration and discussions among participating States to enhance the sustainable development of tribal communities in Scheduled Areas through effective PESA implementation.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj remains dedicated to ensuring that the benefits of the PESA Act reach its intended beneficiaries, embodying the true spirit of the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996. The Ranchi conference marks the second in a series of ongoing efforts by the Ministry to promote the effective adoption and implementation of PESA.