Overview
- The Panchayati Raj department formally notified Jharkhand’s PESA rules late Friday after cabinet approval on December 23, aiming to operationalize tribal self-governance in Scheduled Areas.
- Implementation will be full in 13 districts and partial in Palamu, Godda and Garhwa, covering 16,022 villages and 2,074 panchayats.
- Traditional gram sabhas receive statutory authority over pre-consent for land acquisition and rehabilitation, ownership and marketing of minor forest produce, consent for liquor sales, monitoring of local services, and open hearings on petty offenses with monetary penalties, alongside creation of a Gram Kosh funded by fees, royalties and market revenues.
- Deputy Commissioners will recognize traditional villages and publish gram sabha boundaries through block-level teams in consultation with local leaders, while the rules require police to inform gram sabhas of arrests, prohibit child labour, and mandate disclosure when workers are taken outside the area.
- BJP leaders, including Arjun Munda and Babulal Marandi, accuse the government of diluting PESA by omitting phrases on customary laws and religious practices and by retaining powers with authorities, while the JMM defends the rules as a significant step for tribal rights.