RAIPUR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on his first visit to Bastar in Chhattisgarh after the March 31 deadline set for eliminating Maoists from the country, on Monday pledged to reverse and compensate over the next five years for the losses the region suffered due to six decades of Naxal insurgency.
“I can declare with my head held high that India is now Naxal-free. The pledge to create a Maoist-free India was taken on August 24, 2024 and this resolve was fulfilled well before March 31,” Shah said.
Claiming that Maoism spread not because of lack of development but because Naxals obstructed it, the Union minister said the dream of a “Developed India by 2047” would remain incomplete without a “Developed Bastar”.
During the visit, Shah announced a series of welfare and development initiatives aimed at transforming Bastar from a conflict-hit region into a hub of public welfare and governance.
Marking a milestone, Shah inaugurated the Shaheed Veer Gundadhur Seva Dera Jan Suvidha Kendra (Common Service Centre) at Netanar village in Bastar, the birthplace of tribal martyr Veer Gundadhur. The centre stands at the site where Maoists had earlier killed six security personnel.
Reflecting on the region’s long history of insurgency, Shah said while the rest of India attained independence in 1947, Bastar experienced “true freedom” only after March 31, 2026, following the collapse of Naxal influence.
“For over six decades, the Bastar region has endured severe economic, social and cultural setbacks due to prolonged Maoist insurgency. The BJP government under PM Narendra Modi will address these deep-rooted challenges and compensate for these losses over the next five years,” he said.
Shah said the objective behind eliminating Naxalism extended beyond security operations.
“The objective behind eradicating Naxalism is not only uprooting the insurgents but also ensuring the seamless delivery of welfare services, healthcare and public amenities to our tribal population,” he said.
As part of the government’s strategy to strengthen welfare outreach and build trust, 70 of the 196 security camps currently operating in Bastar will be converted into Common Service Centres (Jan Seva Kendras) over the next 18 months.
These centres will function as hubs for welfare delivery, digital connectivity and administrative support in tribal areas. Banking facilities, Aadhaar card services, ration card issuance and disbursal of benefits under government schemes will be provided through these centres. Benefits of 371 state and central government schemes will be made available at a single location.
Earlier in the day, Shah flagged off Chhattisgarh’s upgraded AI-powered ‘Dial 112’ emergency response service and a fleet of modern mobile forensic vans.
The ‘Dial 112’ service, operational since 2018 in only 16 districts, has now been expanded to all 33 districts of the state. As part of the rollout, 400 advanced emergency response vehicles, 33 surveillance vehicles and 60 highway patrol vehicles were deployed.
Shah later met families of martyrs, Central Armed Police Forces personnel and victims of Naxal violence in Jagdalpur. He also visited Amar Vatika to pay tribute to more than 1,000 security personnel who lost their lives fighting Left Wing Extremism in Bastar.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka and other dignitaries accompanied the Union Home Minister during the visit.