RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Friday presented Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a comprehensive multi-sectoral roadmap for the holistic development of the Bastar division, while seeking Central assistance for key infrastructure, healthcare and energy projects during a bilateral meeting at Parliament House.
During the meeting, Sai also highlighted Chhattisgarh's recent economic, social and regulatory milestones and outlined plans to position the state as an emerging hub for next-generation industries.
The Chief Minister placed three key requests before the Prime Minister to address the state's energy, agricultural and healthcare requirements.
The first was early Central approval for a proposed Rs 10,500 crore gas based urea plant in Rajnandgaon. The project has already received state-level clearance and land allocation, and Sai said it would help stabilise fertiliser supply chains and boost regional industrial activity.
He also sought grid power connectivity for 461 security-sensitive villages in former Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas, enabling them to transition from off-grid systems to the permanent electricity network and ensure reliable long-term power supply.
Sai further requested the establishment of an All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in either Raipur or Bastar to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and promote traditional systems of medicine.
Highlighting Bastar's changing landscape, the Chief Minister outlined several welfare and connectivity initiatives that are reshaping the division.
Flagship schemes such as Niyad Nellanar 2.0 and Bastar Muhim are driving saturation-level delivery of key Central welfare schemes, including Ayushman Bharat, the Public Distribution System (PDS), PM Awas Yojana and Jan Dhan, across all 5,542 villages in the division.
Sai also highlighted the reopening of 421 previously closed schools and said new "Education Cities" are being developed in Orchha and Jagargunda on the lines of the successful educational complex in Dantewada.
On infrastructure, he said transport and connectivity projects are progressing rapidly, including the Rs 3,513 crore Jagdalpur–Raoghat rail line, the final stretches of the Raipur–Visakhapatnam Expressway, the expansion of operations at Jagdalpur airport, and the proposed Indravati River barrage, which is expected to irrigate 32,000 hectares.
Beyond Bastar's development, Sai briefed the Prime Minister on Chhattisgarh's broader economic outlook following the launch of the Industrial Development Policy 2024–30.
He said the state has attracted nearly Rs 8 lakh crore in investment proposals across core manufacturing sectors as well as sunrise industries, including AI data centre parks, semiconductor fabrication, hyperscale data infrastructure, intraocular lens manufacturing and electronic equipment assembly.