Jharkhand High Court Ruling: A Step Forward for PESA Implementation

The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday decided against lifting the stay on the state's allocation of sand ghats, emphasizing pending implementation of the PESA Act rules. The decision came during a hearing concerning a petition by the 'Adivasi Buddhi Jeevi Manch'. This group argued the government's non-compliance with previous court directives granting power to gram sabhas for natural resource management.

In a statement to the court, Advocate General Rajiv Ranjan revealed that the formulation of rules under the PESA Act has been a multi-departmental effort involving 17 departments. However, five departments have yet to submit their opinions on the draft. Once these opinions are in, the draft will undergo cabinet review.

The court has scheduled the next session for October 30, at which the state must report on the PESA rule implementation progress. The 'Adivasi Buddhi Jeevi Manch' has filed a contempt petition to urge the proper auction and allocation of resources, as directed by the high court's July 2024 ruling.