Special Campaign on Forest Rights and PESA Act Rolled Out in Malkangiri to Strengthen Grassroots Governance

Malkangiri, May 09:  A special awareness campaign on forest rights and traditional community rights has been launched in Malkangiri district to educate tribal and forest-dwelling communities about their legal rights.
The campaign is being jointly organised by CSD Odisha and the Traditional Gram Sabha Groups of Malkangiri. Its primary objective is to spread awareness about the provisions of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 and the PESA (Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act among tribal people and traditional forest residents.
The initiative aims to directly reach communities dependent on water, land, and forests and inform them about their constitutional and legal rights related to natural resources and self-governance.
The awareness drive began on April 27, 2026, from Cheriguda village under Dudameta Gram Panchayat in Korkunda Block. Organisers informed that the campaign will gradually be expanded to all blocks of the district in the coming days.
District convenor of the Traditional Gram Sabha Groups Bhishma Pangi, along with CSD Odisha member Sricharan Behera, participated in the programme. Other participants included Ishwar Pangi, Bikash Padiami, Irma Madkami, Laku Hantal, Reli Khul, Mohandas Madkami, Rupa Pangi, Karanji Sisa, Man Golari, Budura Madi, and Damu Muduli.
Local residents welcomed the campaign and described it as an important step toward protecting and strengthening the rights of tribal and forest-dwelling communities in the region.