RAIPUR: Thousands of families in Narayanpur’s interior villages, many of whom earlier lived under the shadow of Maoist terror, found official documents out of reach, not by choice but by distance.
The district administration realised that long journeys, poor roads and security concerns kept services away. In January this year, Narayanpur launched ‘The Sushasan Express’, a mobile governance initiative under the direct supervision of Collector Namrata Jain.
During the last four months, the initiative has begun to close that distance by bringing government services directly to these settlements. “Sushasan Express reflects our commitment to the principle of good governance, where every citizen receives the benefits meant for them,” said CM Vishnu Deo Sai.
“For years, tough geography, scattered habitations and security concerns kept many villages beyond the routine reach of administration. Basic services such as identity registration, welfare enrolment, and grievance redressal often required long travel or remained inaccessible altogether. The Sushasan Express changes that equation,” the collector said.
Between January and the present, the Sushasan Express has visited 72 out of the 112 panchayats, reaching over 20 thousand doorsteps to cover beneficiaries across multiple schemes, she told The New Indian Express.
The initiative operates as a travelling service centre. Officials and data operators move into remote habitations, set up temporary camps, and deliver services on the spot.
The focus remains on ensuring that residents of interior areas are covered under essential schemes. A daily monitoring system is in place to track applications received, processed and pending, ensuring transparency and timely delivery.
The data reflects the scale of on-ground delivery. A total of 2126 Aadhaar cards, 4022 Ayushman cards and 306 labour cards have been issued. Services linked to essential documentation and livelihoods have also seen steady progress.
This includes 713 birth and death certificates, 562 ration card issuances, 180 caste certificates, 104 income certificates and 63 residence certificates.
In addition, 233 services under the PM Samman Nidhi have been facilitated.
The outreach has not been limited to documentation. The initiative has supported pension-related services, MGNREGA job cards and election-related Form-6 registrations.
Health and disability surveys have also been conducted in remote areas. A key feature of the programme is Aadhaar service delivery.
A total of 10,682 Aadhaar updates, including Mandatory Biometric Updates, have been completed.
This addresses a long-standing gap, as access to identity documents remains central to availing most government schemes.