Ensure self-governance of Tribal communities’

​Hyderabad: Governor of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu Ch. Vidyasagar Rao said that to ensure ‘good governance’ in tribal areas, there is a need to ensure self-governance of tribal communities and safeguarding their right to access and manage the community’s own resources.
Speaking at the inauguration of a two- day National seminar on “Governance, Resources and Livelihoods of Adivasis in India:

Implementation of PESA and FRA” at National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj at Rajendranagar in Hyderabad on Friday, Rao said that for tribal communities, PESA and Forest Rights Act assume immense importance in the context of historical denial of access to forests, displacement, alienation of land and the denial of acceptance to local governance systems.

He also informed that Gadchiroli district has become the beacon for the entire country in the implementation of PESA. The Fifth Schedule lays down responsibilities on the Governor to look after the welfare and advancement of the scheduled areas”, he said.

Vidyasagar Rao informed that in Maharashtra, steps have been taken by the institution of the Governor to ensure the effective implementation of Forests Rights Act (FRA) and PESA and for general welfare of tribal communities.

I have mandated that at least 5% of Tribal sub-plan funds shall be developed directly to Gram Panchayats and Gram Sabhas in Maharashtra”.

The local state legislations with regard to minor forest produce have been amended to ensure that all minor forest produce, including bamboo and Tendu now belong to Gram Sabhas. “Hundreds of Gram Sabhas have started exercising their rights over bamboo and Tendu and earning income ranging from Rs. 10 lakh to about 70 to 80 lakh”, he added.

The Governor further mentioned that the State is also implementing the concept of hamlet level Gram Sabhas so that Panchayat Raj can filter down to the small gram Sabhas envisaged at the community level.

In order to allocate greater resource to tribal nutrition, I have amended the national Food Security Act-2013 in Maharashtra to ensure that in Scheduled Areas Children get eggs 4 times in a week and pregnant and lactating mothers get ‘one full meal’ everyday.

The tribal Communities in India have been deprived of their natural rights for a very long time as far as governance, natural resources and livelihoods are concerned.

Speaking on the occasion, Tevita G. Boseiwaqa Taginavulau, Director General, Center on Integrated Rural Development for Asia And The Pacific (CIRDAP), said that there is lack of harmonisation between tribal cultural practices and laws. He also said that there is a need to come back to the basic values of honesty and good governance.