Bhopal, Dec 28 (IANS) The Madhya Pradesh government is planning to set up a special cell to monitor the schemes under the provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act.
The upcoming unit (cell) will function under the state’s Tribal Affairs Department, which will be tasked to monitor the effective implementation of the PESA Act.
The Act was implemented in Madhya Pradesh in November 2022.
During a review meeting on Saturday, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav instructed officials to ensure that the issues related with the PESA Act should be resolved on priority basis and a special cell should be formed to monitor the execution on ground.
During the meeting, district administrations have been asked to prepare for a detail presentation of works under the PESA Act in the upcoming Collector-Commissioner Conference, according to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office on Saturday.
CM Yadav also highlighted that improvement in the living standards of tribal people and conservation of forest areas should be given top priority.
He also asserted that the participation of local residents should be ensured in the conservation and management of community forest resources. Along with this, activities should be expanded by involving social organisations.
“Madhya Pradesh is a big producer of tendu leaves, but it is used commercially in other states. A strategy should be prepared to encourage tendu leaf collectors and various businesses related to it in the state itself and to provide its benefits to tribal brothers and sisters,” the statement read.
Notably, after the implementation of the PESA Act, the state government is giving an extra push for the execution of the wide range of plans for the transformation of the tribals in the state.
The revenue resources of the Tribal communities in Madhya Pradesh will cross the traditional boundaries such as making ‘mahua liquor’, collection of ‘tendu patta’ or farming etc., and will have many other resources for their livelihood.
The PESA Act in Madhya Pradesh was implemented by President Droupadi Murmu during a visit to the state on the occasion of Tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary on November 15, 2022.
–IANS
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