The two-day Panchayats- Extension to Scheduled Areas Act, 1996 – PESA festival will be held in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, from Tuesday. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has said, several initiatives will be launched on the occasion. These include a PESA portal for disseminating information and monitoring the implementation of the Act, and PESA indicators to assess the status of implementation in the states. Similarly, training modules on PESA in tribal languages and an e-book on the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh will also be launched to strengthen awareness and capacity building at the grassroots level. Moreover, Special Gram Sabhas will be organised across all 10 states of PESA.

The Ministry said, the festival will feature various sports and cultural activities showcasing the diversity and vibrancy of India’s tribal heritage. The PESA festival is envisioned as a national platform to celebrate the cultural and traditional heritage of tribal communities in PESA areas, celebrated every year on 24th December.