Madhya Pradesh: Gram sabhas in tribal areas get more powers

The gazette notification issued by theMadhya Pradeshgovernment declaring promulgation ofPESA Actin schedule areas provides for constitution of a “” for a village in the schedule area and more than 50% voters of a cluster of hamlets may propose constitution of a seperate “gramsabha” to the District Administration.

Every “gram sabha” will act as an autonomous body and it will have an office in the area under the jurisdiction of the “gram sabha”.

Every “gram sabha” will have a president, who will be elected either unanimously or by a majority vote. He will remain on the post till the next “gram sabha” meeting. He may be elected again but his tenure during the entire term of “gram sabha” will not be more than a year. The secretary ofgram panchayatwill be ex-officio secretary of all “gram sabhas” constituted under that “gram panchayat.”