Bhubaneswar: Opposition Congress legislators voiced concerns in Odisha Assembly on Monday over the delay in implementing the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA Act).
The issue was raised during the Zero Hour by Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Rama Chandra Kadam, who urged Speaker Surama Padhy to direct the BJP-led state government to introduce a motion on the matter before the end of the Budget session.
“Despite a tribal Chief Minister at the helm of affairs, the government has been delaying implementation of the nearly three-decade-old central legislation. Even twenty months after coming to power in the state, it has shown no real intent to empower tribal communities, who remain vulnerable to exploitation in the absence of regulations safeguarding their rights over land, forests, and other natural resources in scheduled areas,” Kadam said.
Enacted by Parliament to empower tribal communities in Scheduled Areas, the PESA Act aims to grant Gram Sabhas authority over land, forests, minor forest produce, and natural resources, while protecting tribal rights from exploitation.
The Congress MLA further accused the government of stallin
g the Act to favour corporate interests in mining and industrial projects in tribal-dominated regions. “The government is delaying the implementation of PESA in order to help corporates and industries that exploit mineral resources in tribal areas,” he alleged.
“I urge the Speaker to give a ruling on the matter as the tribals have started migrating to cities after being exploited in their native places,” Kadam added.
Supporting the call, Congress MLA CS Raazen Ekka from Rajgangpur in Sundergarh district pointed to unfulfilled election promises by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and state BJP leaders, who had assured PESA implementation upon assuming power.
Despite these commitments, no rules have been framed, Ekka noted.
Citing a recent tribal protest against land acquisition for a cement plant in Sundargarh, he demanded the formation of a House committee to oversee land acquisitions by industries and mines in scheduled districts inhabited by tribals.
Fellow Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati from Jeypore in Koraput district echoed these concerns, stating that the lack of PESA enforcement has allowed corporate entities to extract minerals at the expense of local tribal residents. He cautioned that ongoing delays could spark widespread protests by tribal groups.
In September 2024, Panchayati Raj Minister Rabi Narayan Naik had informed the Assembly that the government intended to bring PESA in the next session of the Assembly and also convene a meeting for consultations with ST legislators and other senior members of the House on all aspects of the Act.