The Hon'ble President's Office has intervened in response to a memorandum submitted by Lakshadweep Yuva Morcha State President Shri Mahada Hussain, requesting the implementation of the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) in Lakshadweep.
In 1950, Lakshadweep was declared a Scheduled Area under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution by a Presidential Proclamation. The Constitution grants special privileges and the right to self-governance to areas designated as Scheduled Areas. However, it remains a stark reality that, to date, the people of Lakshadweep have not been able to exercise their right to self-governance. Panchayats were formed to ensure more power reached the common people, but the region, which is a Union Territory and lacks even a mini-assembly, still has no authority for the people to decide on their governance.
In light of this situation, Shri Mahada Hussain, the State President of Yuva Morcha, has made a significant intervention. The Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA), which grants additional powers to panchayats in Scheduled Areas, was introduced in India in 1996. However, this law has not been implemented in Lakshadweep. The PESA Act empowers local panchayats with more authority to make decisions regarding governance in Scheduled Areas. Since Lakshadweep has been recognized as a Scheduled Area since 1950, Shri Mahada Hussain submitted a memorandum to the Hon'ble President, urging the implementation of the PESA Act in Lakshadweep.
Following this, the Hon'ble President's Office has issued directions to the Lakshadweep Administrator and the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, requesting action on this matter. If this law is implemented in Lakshadweep, it would put an end to the autocratic and bureaucratic governance in the region. Elected representatives would gain a central role in governance, and a Panchayat system that takes into account the sentiments of the local population would be established, said Shri Mahada Hussain.
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