‘Withdraw the Decision of One Mobilizer for Three Gram Panchayats’
New Delhi | Rayat Samachar
(Tribal) Tribal organizations have strongly opposed the central government’s decision to reduce the number of PESA Gram Sabha Mobilizers, who play a key role in the effective implementation of the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, commonly known as the PESA Act. The Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch and the PESA Mobilizer Sangharsh Samiti have demanded that Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram immediately withdraw what they described as an unfair decision that could remove nearly 2,000 mobilizers from work in Maharashtra.
(Tribal) The PESA Act, a landmark law granting self-governance rights to tribal communities, came into force across India on December 24, 1996. To ensure its implementation, Gram Sabha Mobilizers were appointed in every PESA Gram Panchayat. For the last eight to ten years, these mobilizers have worked in tribal regions to strengthen Gram Sabhas, spread awareness, and support implementation of the law.
(Tribal) However, under a new central government decision, one PESA Gram Sabha Mobilizer will now be assigned to three Gram Panchayats. As a result, nearly 2,000 of Maharashtra’s approximately 3,000 mobilizers face the threat of unemployment.
The delegation highlighted the geographical conditions, remote tribal settlements, and local needs of tribal areas, stating that instead of reducing the number of mobilizers, there is a need to increase them. They also emphasized that the position is crucial for the effective implementation of the PESA Act.
During the meeting, Minister Jual Oram reportedly gathered detailed information from the delegation and expressed the view that reducing PESA mobilizer posts would not be appropriate. He assured the delegation that efforts would be made to coordinate with the Union Ministry of Rural Development to reverse the decision, according to the organizations.
