CHHATTISGARH : For decades, Narayanpur district and the thick forests of Abujhmarh, the unknown terrain in Chhattisgarh’s south Bastar region, were known mainly for conflict and security camps. Watchtowers, tall fences and armed personnel were common sights along the roads. In many remote villages, basic facilities such as schools and proper roads remained out of reach. Long distances and the lack of safe places to stay forced many tribal boys to drop out of school at an early age.
Education in these forested hinterlands was all too often the first casualty: roads stopped, schools remained scarce, and distance systematically cut young learners off from the classroom. Now, in an area where the Bastar division was declared free of Maoist violence after March 31, 2026, those same fortified walls are being reclaimed for an entirely different mission: educating tribal children.
Rather than letting abandoned security infrastructure become empty relics as security forces advanced and peace took hold, the Narayanpur district administration, led by Collector Namrata Jain, began turning vacated camps into residential centres for tribal youth.
During his last visit to Bastar this year, Union Home Minister Amit Shah envisioned transforming old security camps into “Jan Suvidha Kendras” (Public Service Centres) after the elimination of armed Maoists.
The first camp to be converted was in Bhatpal village, about 25 km from the district headquarters. Security forces had operated from Bhatpal for nearly 15 years to protect the surrounding area.
On August 11, 2026, the campus opened its doors to students, becoming the first security camp in the entire Bastar division to be turned into an education and residential centre.
The initiative gathered pace in weeks. On September 28, 2026, the administration repurposed the police camp at Kurushnar. Established in 2003, it was one of Narayanpur district’s oldest security installations.
At Bhatpal, two boys’ hostels now operate side by side. The pre-matric hostel, built for 100 students in Classes VI to X, currently houses 114 boys from remote villages.
A similar change is visible at Kurushnar. Run by the Tribal Department, the old camp now houses two groups of boys. The shift shows how the region’s priorities are changing.