Continuing with its mega tribal outreach, the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh announced the implementation of PESA (Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, in the scheduled areas of the state, on Saturday.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced it at an event held at Indore to mark the death anniversary of local tribal hero Tantya Bhil alias Tantya Mama on his death anniversary, just a few hours ahead of the announcement of panchayat (local bodies) polls in the state.
The three-tier panchayat polls will be held in the state on January 6 and 28 and February 16, the state election commission announced on Saturday evening. The local body polls have been overdue for two years now.
Madhya Pradesh becomes the seventh state of the 10 states with fifth schedule areas to implement the law. Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra have already formulated PESA rules to implement the 1996 central Act, while Chhattisgarh has drafted the rules and is currently in consultation process for implementation.
The fifth schedule areas in Madhya Pradesh where the PESA Act will be implemented include Jhabua, Mandla, Dhar, Khargone, Khandwa, Betul, Seoni, Balaghat, Morena and Sailana tehsil in Ratlam district.
PESA Act seeks to enable the panchayats at appropriate levels and Gram Sabhas to implement a system of self-governance with respect to a number of issues such as customary resources, minor forest produce, minor minerals, minor water bodies, selection of beneficiaries, sanction of projects, and control over local institutions. Overall, the Act is seen as an instrument available to the residents of the scheduled areas to control their resources including mineral resources and the pace and priorities of development so as not to be impacted by rampant land acquisition and displacement or losing access to forest, land and other natural resources.
During the event in Indore, where governor Mangu Bhai Patel, a prominent tribal leader and activist, was also present, Chouhan also announced again that the loan taken from local moneylenders (sahukars) by the tribal people till August 15, 2020, will be waived off and henceforth no private moneylenders will be able to operate without due licences.
The governor and CM also received the week-long Gaurav Kalash Yatra to honour Tantya Bhil at its culmination. His memorial at Patalpani was inaugurated virtually. The event was earlier scheduled at Patalpani in Mhow, but was shifted to Indore at the last moment due to inclement weather.
The BJP government in the state has been on an announcement spree to woo tribal votes that moved away from it in the 2018 assembly polls, causing the party to fall short of majority. In the past few months, the BJP government has been honouring tribal heroes, naming places and projects after them and announcing special schemes and sops for the tribals.
It is seen as a move to counter the Congress campaign against the atrocities on tribal people and their general neglect by the BJP government.
'Poll agenda to remember tribal heroes now'
Ex-chief minister and MP Congress chief Kamal Nath has, meanwhile, called the overt tribal outreach of BJP and its government as a poll agenda. “The events organised to mark birth anniversary, martyrdom days of tribal heroes, rampant announcements are all part of the poll agenda. It is surprising that the BJP government has been ruling the state for 18 years, but never remembered these great personalities. Have these personalities been born now? They have long glorious histories, but the BJP never remembered them or held events for them,” Nath said.
He added that the BJP has no right to hold events or take out rallies in honour of the tribal leaders, rather they should conduct 'forgiveness day' events or 'forgiveness rallies', because the tribal people know well that the maximum incidents of harassment, oppression and excesses with tribals are reported in the state. The latest figures from the National Crime Records Bureau have put a stamp on this, he said.