Arvind Kejriwal also guaranteed that Gujarat’s tribal advisory committee would be headed by a person from the community instead of the chief minister.
Mumbai: Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday promised implementation of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution and the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act in tribal regions of Gujarat if the AAP is voted to power in the state.
Kejriwal also ensured that the Gujarat tribe’s advisory committee would be headed by a community member rather than the chief minister, as has been the case in the state.
The Delhi chief minister spoke to reporters in Vadodara on the second day of his two-day visit to BJP-ruled Gujarat, where parliamentary elections will take place later this year.
He will address a rally later in the day at Bodeli in Gujarat’s tribal-dominated Chhota Udepur district.
The fifth appendix to the constitution deals with the provisions relating to the administration and control of the planned territories and the planned tribes.
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The PESA Act was enacted by Parliament in 1996 to ensure self-government for residents of incorporated areas. States were urged to formulate rules for the effective implementation of the Gram Sabhas Strengthening Act in designated areas.
Kejriwal said, “We will implement provisions of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution word to word. We will also strictly implement the PESA Act, which says no government can take action in a tribal area without the gram sabha’s consent.”
“There is a tribal advisory committee. Its work is to oversee the development of tribal regions, how to utilise funds. The law says that the tribal advisory committee chairman should be a tribal. In Gujarat, the chief minister heads the committee. This will be stopped,” he added.
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