The Chhattisgarh government on Thursday approved draft rules under the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act.
The rules were approved at the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel here, a government spokesperson said.
The PESA Act was enacted by Parliament in 1996 to ensure self- governance for people living in Scheduled Areas. The states were required to formulate rules for the effective implementation of the Act to strengthen gram sabhas in Scheduled Areas.
After the cabinet meeting, Health Minister T S Singh Deo, who also holds the Panchayat and Rural Development portfolio, said Congress’ promise in the 2018 assembly elections to formulate rules for the implementation of PESA Act was fulfilled on Thursday.
All sections of society would get representation in the gram sabha samities (committees), he said in a series of tweets.
I am very happy to share with you all that as per the intention of Shri Rahul Gandhi ji, we had promised to implement PESA rules in Chhattisgarh in our Jan Ghoshna Patra and it was fulfilled today, the minister said.
“I would like to thank Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and my cabinet colleagues for approving the draft which was prepared after discussion with the national and regional public representatives of Scheduled Tribe communities, party representatives and senior social workers during the last 2.5 years,” he added.
As per the draft rules, there will be minimum 50 percent representation to the Scheduled Tribes, while Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and unreserved classes will also get representation according to their population, the minister said.
Source: PTI
Photo: Internet
