Chhattisgarh: CRPF’s 150 battalion opens school in Maoist-affected Tekalgudem

Sukma: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has opened a school at core Maoist zone of Tekalgudem on the Sukma-Bijapur border, earlier considered a hotbed of Maoist-insurgency.

Many security forces personnel have laid down their lives in the line of duty in the Sukma-Bijapur border area where the Maoists had a dominating presence till recent. In 2021, the Naxals (Maoists) had also abducted CRPF constable Rakeshwar Singh Manhas from the area.

Manhas, a commando from Central Reserve Police Force’s elite CoBRA unit, was kidnapped during the Bijapur attack on April 3, 2021. Though, following intervention and continuous appeals from social organisations, the extremists later released him.

For many years, Maoists had prevented the construction of any schools in the region and even harmed those who tried to build them. Now, with the help of the 150th battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), things are changing around the area.

A local resident of Tekalgudem said, “There was no school in our village before. The extremists used to stop people from building schools and even killed those who tried. Now, thanks to the CRPF, we have a school. Our children can go to school every day, and they also get meals here.”

#WATCH | Sukma, Chhattisgarh | A resident of Tekalgudem village says, "There was no school in our village earlier. The Naxals used to stop people from building a school here and even murdered those who tried to… A school has been built here since the arrival of the 150… https://t.co/1JSEnCGvml pic.twitter.com/GVtnN19dMP

— ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2025

The school was established as part of the ongoing efforts by the CRPF, district police, and local administration to improve the situation in the Sukma district.

Speaking to ANI, Superintendent of Police of Sukma Kiran Gangaram Chavan said, “Under the Naxal Elimination Drive in the Sukma district, the CRPF, district police, and the administration are operating schools in Tekalgudem and Puvarti. The children are also being provided with meals, books, and sports equipment… In 2024, camps were set up in Tekalgudem and Puvarti to speak to the villagers and establish their trust in the security forces and the government. The school is a result of that”.

Notably, amidst continuous operations in Bastar, the state government along with the security forces is making sincere efforts towards the holistic development of the residents of the Maoist-hit areas through various schemes.

( With inputs from ANI)