Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that tribals have rights over water, forests and land. The state government is providing them their rights. PESA Act has been implemented in the state to empower the tribal class, which will bring prosperity in their lives. The money of the village will be used for the development of the village only. We will not allow religious conversions to happen on the land of the state through deceit and fraud.
Chief Minister Singh Chouhan was addressing a PESA awareness conference at tribal block Kesla in Narmadapuram district on Thursday. He made the tribal community aware of their rights from the PESA Act.
Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that the tribal class will be strengthened by the PESA Act. According to the new rules, now Patwari and Bit Guard will have to bring village land map, Khasra, Copy of B-1, to the village itself and show it in the Gram Sabha, so that no one can tamper with the land records. If someone tampers, the Gram Sabha will have the right to correct it.
The consent of the Gram Sabha will be necessary for taking land for any project. Now no one will be able to grab land by deceit, fraud and force. If someone uses these means, the Gram Sabha will have the right to intervene and retrieve it. Conversions will not be allowed to happen on the land of the state by deceit and fraud at any cost. He said that in the case of minerals, the Gram Sabha will have the right to decide whether contracts of sand mines, ballast, stone contracts have to be given or not.
The Chief Minister said that the Gram Sabha will manage Amrit Sarovar and ponds. Gram Sabha will give consent for growing Singhada in ponds and for fish farming and fisheries. Management of 100 acres of irrigation ponds, collection of forest produce and fixation of minimum price will also be done in the Gram Sabha. Along with collecting forest produce, tribal people will also have the right to sell it.
The tribals will also do the work of plucking and selling tendu leaves. The rate of forest produce will be decided by the Gram Sabha. All these proposals will be decided within a month. The Gram Sabha should pass the proposal for collection and sale of tendu leaves by December 15. The money of the village will be used for the development of the village only.
Chouhan instructed the district administration and forest department to conduct training regarding the PESA Act. He said that not only this, the Gram Sabha itself will propose an action plan for when and which work is to be done through MNREGA. Gram Sabha will also see the muster roll. If the laborers are to be taken out of the village, then the Gram Sabha will have to be informed first. The information about people coming from outside to the village will also have to be given to the Gram Sabha.
Chouhan said that no stone will be left unturned for the upliftment of tribal areas. In tribal areas, only licensed money lenders will be able to lend money at the prescribed rate of interest. This information will also have to be given to the Gram Sabha. Money lenders will not be able to charge more interest. Action will be taken against the concerned for charging more interest. The Gram Sabha will also have the right for the benefits of public welfare schemes of the government.
Only the Gram Sabha will decide who are actually entitled to avail the benefits. He said that no new liquor shop would be opened without the permission of the Gram Sabha. Gram Sabha can recommend removal of any liquor shop.