Tribals demand implementation of PESA Act

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to press their demand for implementation of Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act 1996, tribals staged a demonstration in Bhubaneswar on Monday.

Hundreds of tribals, holding traditional weapons and flags and beating drums, took out a rally from Master Canteen to Lower PMG in the city. They raised slogans for implementation of PESA Act and right to forest land.

They alleged that the state government was displacing the tribals from their native places in the name of development. The government was also not implementing PESA Act to benefit some business establishments.

“The forest areas are getting depleted fast and our native places being acquired by the government for setting up industries. It has not only affected our livelihood but also robbed us of our identity,” they said.

Claiming that the government wanted to exploit the minerals in tribal areas to benefit a few people, they demanded immediate halt to the process. “The state government has been delaying implementation of the PESA Act, brought by the Centre, for this purpose,” they added.

They threatened to intensify their agitation across the state, if the government failed to meet their demands soon.