Former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Raghubar Das launched a scathing attack on the Jharkhand government on Thursday over its prolonged inaction on the implementation of the PESA Act. Addressing a press conference at the Chamber of Commerce auditorium in Bistupur, he accused the state of undermining constitutional directives and jeopardizing tribal rights.
Das expressed deep concern over the government's failure to act on the Jharkhand High Court’s 2024 directive to implement the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) within two months. “Even after a year, no concrete steps have been taken. This is not just negligence, it's contempt of court,” he said, referring to the contempt notices issued to the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary of the Panchayati Raj Department.
Raising pointed questions at Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Das asked, “Who is Hemant Soren afraid of? In 2019, tribal votes were sought in the name of ‘Abua Raj’ and tribal pride, but now there is complete silence when the time has come to empower Gram Sabhas.”
He recalled that the groundwork for implementing PESA was laid during his own tenure in 2018, but the model code of conduct ahead of elections had stalled the process. Das pointed out that the current JMM-Congress government had drafted the rules in 2023 and invited public suggestions, which were cleared by the Law Department and the Advocate General. “Now, only cabinet approval is pending. What’s stopping the government?” he asked.
Warning of financial consequences, Das said that a ?1400 crore grant from the 15th Finance Commission is at risk of lapsing due to the delay. “Villages will be the biggest losers,” he said, adding that PESA would grant Gram Sabhas legal and economic rights over local resources like minerals, forest produce, sand ghats, and water bodies—empowering traditional tribal leadership and boosting rural economies.
He emphasized that Jharkhand and Odisha remain the only two of ten Fifth Schedule states yet to implement the PESA Act. “In Odisha, the BJD has ruled for 27 years without implementing PESA. In Jharkhand, we have had a tribal Chief Minister for six years, yet the Act remains buried in files,” he remarked.
Das described PESA as a vital instrument for protecting Jharkhand’s tribal culture, traditions, and economy. “With PESA, traditional roles like Manjhi, Pargana, Pahan, and Manki-Munda will regain their rightful authority. It will also act as a deterrent against conversion and external interference,” he added.
He alleged that foreign religious missionaries had long obstructed the PESA Act, filing cases against it from 2010 to 2017. “The Supreme Court has clearly ruled that only the Fifth Schedule applies to Jharkhand—not the Sixth,” he clarified.
