The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday asked the state government to file a detailed status report on the steps taken toward framing and implementing the rules under the Panchayat Extension of Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act.
A division bench of Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Rajesh Shankar was hearing a contempt petition filed by the Adiwasi Buddhijeevi Manch, which accused the state of failing to comply with earlier court directions on timely implementation.
On July 29, 2024, the High Court had directed the state government to frame the PESA rules and ensure their implementation. The court had also granted two months for completing the process.
After the government failed to adhere to the deadline, the Adiwasi Buddhijeevi Manch moved a contempt petition, prompting Thursday’s hearing.
During the proceedings, Additional Advocate General Sachin Kumar informed the bench that the draft rules had been placed before the cabinet coordination committee. The committee, he said, identified certain anomalies and returned the rules to the Panchayati Raj Department for rectification.
Once revised, the rules will be resubmitted to the cabinet coordination committee for approval, Kumar added.
Taking note of the submissions, the bench directed the state government to file a status report within three weeks, detailing the progress made in the rule-making process.
Enacted in 1996, the PESA Act aims to safeguard the rights and autonomy of tribal communities residing in scheduled areas by empowering local self-governance structures.
