Area cleared of Maoists, electricity reaches this Chhattisgarh village for the first time

Chhutwahi village was inaccessible until a year ago

Bijapur collector Sambit Mishra said, “We have been able to provide electricity to the villagers for the first time since Independence as we are getting access to these areas because new security camps are coming in Bijapur. Our top priority is to provide basic amenities as soon as new security camps open and we get access to villages. By next year, we will try to provide them with road connectivity.”

“Apart from electricity under the Niyad Nellanar scheme, we are providing them with water supply under the Jal Jeevan Mission, mobile tower, school, anganwadis, and the public distribution system,” Mishra said.

Bijapur collector Sambit Mishra said, “We have been able to provide electricity to the villagers for the first time since Independence as we are getting access to these areas because new security camps are coming in Bijapur.”

According to an official, more than 100 other villages in Bijapur still don’t have electricity connection. As security forces move forward and free the villages of Maoists, the administration will be able to provide residents with electricity and other benefits under central and state government schemes, the official said.

This year, security forces in Chhattisgarh killed 210 Maoists – the highest casualty suffered by Maoists in a year since the state’s formation. During the same period, 17 security personnel and 62 civilians have been killed in Maoist violence in the state’s Bastar region, which comprises seven districts including Bijapur.