RAIPUR: Tribal youths who once lived under the shadow of terror in the Maoist-affected district of Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki have achieved a remarkable milestone, with ten of them, including two females, successfully clearing both the physical and written competitive examinations conducted by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) and the Chhattisgarh Police. They will soon join the police force as constables, marking the first such success in this edgy region.
The breakthrough is seen as a powerful symbol of change, signifying a critical shift in the mindset of a region that borders Gadchiroli in Maharashtra and Kanker district in the Bastar division.
With the security scenario having significantly improved across the district, once cited as a hotbed of left-wing extremism, the region now undeniably yearns for peace and development.
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), besides engaging in anti-Maoist operations in the western region of Chhattisgarh, also took up the noble cause of supporting local youths in shaping their future careers. For several youths, adversity in life tested their capability, courage and character.
The Aundhi Company Operating Base (COB), about 205 km west of Raipur in Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki, organised a crucial two-year career guidance and physical training programme for tribal youths, who were also offered financial support for their course materials.
“The successful outcome is underpinned by the ITBP’s persistent and precise anti-Naxal operations that have dismantled the local leadership of the left-wing extremists. ITBP’s programme exclusively for youths in the region began in 2023. We created awareness among the local youths, groomed them physically, counselled on how to face the competitive examinations and offered them other essential support. First time, five got selected as constables through SSC and other five in Chhattisgarh police. More such success to follow,” Commandant Vivek Kumar Pandey told this newspaper.
Commandant Pandey and district police chief Y P Singh felicitated the ten youths, motivating them to become ambassadors of peace and development for their community.
The presence of the ITBP in the erstwhile Rajnandgaon region (Chhattisgarh’s western region) dates back to December 2009, when it established key bases at various locations such as Aundhi, Sitagaon, Madanwada and Kohka.
In August 2025, a joint operation by the 27th Battalion ITBP and the Chhattisgarh Police eliminated top commanders of the DKSZC Vijay Reddy and DVSC Lokesh Salame, allegedly knocking down the senior command structure of the Rajnandgaon-Kanker border division.
