Ch'garh: Villagers in Narayanpur area oppose PESA Act; hold protests

The villagers said that Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA Act) implemented in the state in August is causing them harassment and is leading to the exploitation of forest resources.

Narayanpur: Hundreds of villagers of eight gram panchayats in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur area have launched protests against the implementation of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA Act). They say the act in question is harming their livelihoods and is leading to the exploitation of forest resources. The PESA Act was enacted by the government of India in 1996 to extend the provision of Gram Panchayats to the scheduled areas.

The Chhattisgarh government implemented the law in August this year after drafting the rules the preceding month. However, the locals in Narayanpur, who are on a sit-in since November 4 in the dense forests in the Naxal-affected Toymeta area of Abujhmad, opposed the PESA Act and the police camp set up in the area.

The protesting villagers further alleged that the forest resources were being openly looted in the garb of forest protection rules. “The PESA Act rules, the rules of the Forest Conservation Act 2022 and the opening of a new police camp will take away our freedom from us. Our forest resources are being looted.

We will not be able to get timber for our houses,” a local said. The villagers further alleged that they are being labelled as Naxalites by the police and sent to jail. “We will not end our protest until the government fulfils our demand," they said. The protesting villagers said that they had also approached SDM Orchha over the matter.