Dileep Singh Bhuria addresses the meet in Ranchi on Monday. (Hardeep Singh)

Ranchi, March 15: The architect of the Panchayat (Extension to the Scheduled Area) Act (PESA), Dileep Singh Bhuria, today said that opposition to this law from some sections was “wrong”, and the Jharkhand government should conduct the rural polls immediately.

Bhuria, who was in the state capital to address the panchayat mukhiya aspirants of 112 blocks, added that empowering the rural populace politically through the panchayat elections would help root out Naxalism from the state.

“All states that have scheduled areas have conducted rural polls under PESA except Jharkhand. The state government should hold the elections immediately. Those opposing the PESA Act are wrong,” Bhuria told The Telegraph on the sidelines of the meeting.

A section of non-tribals is opposing the provision of PESA Act, which provides for reservation of posts of mukhiyas for tribals in scheduled (tribal) areas, though the Supreme Court has upheld the law.

Bhuria also said the “letter and spirit” of the act was not implemented in the states where the rural polls have already taken place. He said the governments had failed to ensure delegation of all such powers to the panchayats envisaged under the act.

Today’s convention — Satta gaon mein (power in the villages) — was convened by NGO Vikas Bharati Bishunpur. Around 1,000 mukhiya aspirants from over 2,000 panchayat bodies falling under scheduled areas got an opportunity to interact with Bhuria. The three-day meet was started today.

“The villagers are waiting for the panchayat elections. They believe that if they get the political power given to them by the Constitution, several problems, including Naxalism, can be solved,” said Jay Kishan Biruli, a participant from Tuibir gram panchayat of Chaibasa.