The Indigenous People’s Forum will hold a two-day-long State-level public grievance programme on traditional self-governance system in the scheduled areas at the Institution of Engineer here on December 20 and 21.
According to the forum’s convenor, the Government has enacted two historic legislations such as Provisions for Panchayts (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act 1996, popularly called PESA, and Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006, popularly called FRA, which provide, inter alia, for self-governance and ownership and management by the community over natural resources along with control over dispute resolution processes and schemes and functionaries in social sector.
“However, it is very unfortunate that at the ground level we are still deprived of the enabling conditions to access and exercise the very many rights guaranteed under the Acts in favour of the indigenous peoples,” said the convenor.
“Hence, we decided to hold a public grievance programme to know the ground reality, thereby ensuring solutions to the problems,” added the convenor.