The Panchayati Raj Ministry has come up with specialized training modules for effective implementation of the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act and is likely to hold a national conference later this month to discuss and advance the implementation of the law.

The PESA Act of 1996 gives special powers to gram sabhas in a state’s scheduled areas, especially for the management of natural resources.

It is aimed at recognising, empowering and promoting the social, economic, cultural and political way of life of the Scheduled Tribes.

The ministry is likely to hold a national conference in Delhi on September 26 that will bring together policymakers, senior officers, panchayat representatives and other key stakeholders from the 10 PESA states to discuss and advance the implementation of the Act, an official said.

The 10 states under the PESA Act are Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana.

The fundamental spirit of the legislation for tribal areas under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution is to devolve rather than delegate power and authority to gram sabhas and panchayats, paving the way for participatory democracy.

To strengthen the ground-level institutions in these areas, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, in partnership with the PESA States and various NGOs, has developed seven specialized training modules for the Fifth Schedule areas, an official said.

With land alienation being one of the major issues faced by tribals living in these areas, the training programme provides a special focus on the matter, the official said.

Land disputes and inadequate implementation of land reform policies are persistent issues in scheduled areas.

Due to the lack of awareness about land rights, communities often struggle to assert their rights, thus being deprived of their traditional means of livelihood.