Jharkhand News: Tribals in Jamshedpur demand reinstatement of Gram Panchayat status

PINAKI MAJUMDAR

Jamshedpur, June 10: The Manki-Pargana Mahal and the United Gram Sabha Sangharsh Samiti of Jamshedpur have once again raised their voices demanding the reinstatement of their traditional rights and administrative structure.

Members of the tribal community marched from Sakchi’s Aam Bagan to the Deputy Commissioner’s office, armed with traditional weapons, in a show of cultural solidarity and protest.

The protestors staged a dharna on Tuesday and submitted a memorandum addressed to the President of India, the Governor and the Chief Minister of Jharkhand.

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Their primary demand is to annul the status of Panchayats as municipal bodies and reinstate them as Gram Panchayats.

Among their other demands is the urgent implementation of the Sarna Dharma Code and the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, also known as PESA.

Protestors claim that under Article 243ZC of the Indian Constitution, declaring municipal corporations and municipalities in Fifth Schedule areas is unconstitutional.

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Currently, most tribal families in the region own more than 10 bighas of land. If the region is converted into a municipal corporation, they argue, the tax burden on these families will increase significantly, threatening their economic stability and traditional way of life.