The Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996

The Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 is a law passed by the Indian Parliament to extend the Panchayati Raj system to the Scheduled Areas in India. The Panchayati Raj system is a decentralized system of local governance in India, which involves the establishment of elected local bodies at the village, intermediate, and district levels. This act was passed to ensure democratic decentralization in tribal areas, which are known as Scheduled Areas, and to empower the local communities in these areas. The act also lays down the powers and functions of the Gram Sabha, the Panchayats, and the District Councils in these areas. The act mandates the state governments to constitute District Planning Committees in the Scheduled Areas to prepare development plans for the area and to integrate them with the state plans. The act is crucial for the overall development of the tribal areas in India.