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The incumbent Chhattisgarh government, led by Chief Minister, Vishnu Deo Sai, in a major push for development in the Maoist-hit regions of the state, has completed as many as 11 road projects in core Maoist zones in the last four months alone, according to Deputy Chief Minister (Dy CM), Vijay Sharma.
Sharing the details of the big infrastructure push by the state government in the Maoist strongholds, Dy CM Sharma informed that the Sai government is leaving no stone unturned in developing Bastar, and 11 road projects under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojna have been completed in separate districts infested by the Maoist insurgency in the state.
Out of these road construction projects, five have been built in Sukma district alone, while three have been completed in the neighboring Dantewada district. One road construction project each has been completed in Kondagaon, Bhanupratappur, and Kanker.
State Home Minister Sharma, who also holds the Panchayat and Rural Development portfolio in the Sai led Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) government, further informed that a total of 85 such projects have been identified by the government, and work is in progress on 40 of them, covering around 260 kilometers.
Most of these road projects where work is being carried out at war level fall under the hostile terrains of region such as Abujhmaad, a bastion of the Maoist since decades where roads are being built for the first time since independence. The Dy CM further informed that proposal for six additional road projects have already been sent to the centre for approval.
Among the road projects completed in the last four months are: Kiskoro to Kotkhursai in Kanker, Badgaon Pratappur to Badejharkatta in Bhanupratappur, Cormel road to Guniyapara, Kudur in Kondagaon; Surnar to Patelpara, Koriras Kidriras road to Chotebedma, Kawalnaar to Jhirkha in Dantewada district.
Further roads have also been constructed between Doleras to Pedalnaar, Dhanikodata to Dengopara, Kahigunda road, Chikapalli road and between Moshalpara to Sebbiraspara in Maoist stronghold of Sukma district.
Dy CM Sharma, who is all set to visit Bastar on June 3 for an interaction with experts and intellectuals in a programme on Naxal (Maoist) insurgency, informed further that the biggest obstacle in completing these road projects was of security for which we started holding joint meetings of officials of Home, Panchayat department of the government along with ADG Naxal and others to identify road projects and then complete it under adequate security arrangements.
Significantly, the state government, in a major move earlier, also announced the flagship ‘Niyad Nellanaar’ (Yours good village) scheme, aimed at providing basic facilities and benefits of government schemes to the residents of Maoist infested areas of the state.
Fresh Surrender and Rehabilitation policy for Maoists
It is noteworthy that other than pushing for development projects and amplified operations against the Maoists, which has led to the neutralisation, arrest and surrender of scores of Maoists in the last 4-5 months alone, the state government has also announced that it is mulling over enacting a new surrender and rehabilitation policy for the outlaws.
Recently, the Deputy CM, Sharma, has remarked that the state government is willing to learn from the Maoists themselves about their surrender and rehabilitation policy, as there is no point roaming around in the forests with a gun, be it the Maoists or the security forces.
“We would like to know from the Naxalite themselves, what they want in the surrender policy, there is no point roaming around in the forest with a gun. Move into mainstream, adopt democracy, said Sharma, while asserting that the government has released a mail ID, a Google form, and a handwritten form for suggestions on the surrender policy.
Field Hospital opened up at CRPF camp in Puverti
It is worth mentioning here that the security forces in recent years have strengthened their presence by opening up security camps in the Maoist stronghold of Bastar, which encompasses the most highly affected districts hit by Maoist insurgency across the country.
A number of such camps are opened up at the Bijapur-Sukma border, such as in Puverti village, where the forces have now opened up a field hospital in the Central Reserve Police Force camp established in the village in February this year.
The said hospital will provide high quality treatment, check-ups and medicines for 16 types of diseases to the villagers at no cost, ensuring timely treatment for the residents who were earlier deprived of basic health checkups and medicines.
Taking to the X, the Dy CM Sharma said that “a new chapter of pleasant change has begun in Bastar and you will be happy to know that a field hospital ‘Aarogyadham’ has been started in Sukma village of Puverti”.
Puverti, a remote village near Tekalguda of Sukma district, was considered as an alleged headquarters of the Maoists, and home to hundreds of members of the outlawed outfit, including top commanders like Barse Deva, the incumbent commander of the Peoples Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) battalion no. 01 and Madavi Hidma, a central committee members of the outlaws carrying a bounty of Rs1 crore.
The establishment of the tactical headquarter of the forces in Puverti is believed to be of utmost significance for the security forces in furthering their operations against the outlaws in the latter’s erstwhile citadel.
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