Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram urges Prez Murmu to ensure implementation of PESA Act

A delegation of the RSS-affiliated Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram has met President Droupadi Murmu and urged her to ask state governors to ensure implementation of the PESA Act, its senior functionary said on Sunday.

The PESA Act was enacted by Parliament in 1996 to ensure self-governance for people living in scheduled areas. States were required to formulate rules for effective implementation of the Act to strengthen gram sabhas in these scheduled areas.

The Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram works for tribals, particularly in the tribal-dominated regions in the county. Senior functionary of the organisation Pramod Pethkar said the delegation met Murmu on August 5.

Members of the delegation requested the President to emphasise the implementation of laws such as the PESA Act when she chairs meeting with all governors.

They also presented Murmu the special Independence day edition of its monthly magazine 'Van Bandhu'.

The Constitution has given governors special powers regarding tribal areas, mainly to check land-related transactions involving scheduled tribes so that the people from the community are not deprived of their rights.