Raipur: Over 100 youths from remote villages of Sukma district visited the state capital for the first time under a special initiative of the state government, said an official statement issued by the government on March 18.
119 youths hailing from villages falling under the Niyad Nellanar scheme visited and witnessed the proceedings of the state legislative assembly under ‘Swami Vivekananda Yuva Protshahan Yojna’. Those who have arrived on the educational tour facilitated by the government belongs to Silger, Elmagunda, Puvarti, Bedre and other remote villages once identified with Maoist insurgency.
The youth delegation also met with the Chhattisgarh Speaker and former Chief Minister Raman Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma. Interacting with the youths, Singh asserted that they can spread the light of development and peace in their respective villages.
Deputy CM Sharma also interacted with the delegation and took stock of the situation of their villages. He assured that the state government is committed to provide them with facilities like clean drinking water, concrete roads, healthcare, ration, electricity and housing.
विधानसभा अध्यक्ष डॉ. रमन सिंह और उपमुख्यमंत्री श्री विजय शर्मा से मुलाकात कर युवाओं ने अपने गांवों की स्थिति पर चर्चा की।
पहली बार गांव से निकलकर राजधानी पहुंचे युवा, प्रदेश की प्रगति को नजदीक से देखकर बेहद उत्साहित हुए। 2/2— Jansampark CG (@DPRChhattisgarh) March 18, 2025
Sharma also held strategic discussion for the economic development of the villages under the Niyad Nellanar scheme, informing that the government has established security camps to strengthen the security of the areas and to provide the benefits of welfare scheme to the residents.
Notably the state government in February last had also facilitated a similar educational tour of youths hailing from Maoist-affected Puverti, Tekalguda, Silger, and other villages.
The Chhattisgarh government last year announced the flagship Niyad Nellanar (Apka Achha Gaon Yojna) scheme aimed at providing basic facilities and benefits of government schemes to the people residing in the Maoist affected areas of the state. The scheme aims to cover villagers, residing under the 5-kilometre radius of security camps erected in insurgency-prone areas.
The scheme has turned out to be a game changer for the residents under which benefits of various government welfare schemes are being provided to them. This includes dedicated electrification drive in villages deprived of electricity since after independence
In a recent development, as many as 51 houses of the Punskota village of Bijapur district were provided with electricity under the scheme for the first time since independence. The village falls under the core insurgency zone and was deprived of electricity. The development has elated the villagers who are now expecting that other development projects will also reach their village soon.
It is worth mentioning here that the development projects being carried out in remote areas are also inspiring the local cadres of the banned Maoist outfit to surrender arms and re-integrate into mainstream. Over 80 cadres of the group have so far turned themselves and surrender before officials since January this year, underscoring the positive impact of the government’ schemes in insurgency-hit Bastar.
