Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday (October 15, 2026) said efforts were being made to improve primary infrastructure and facilities in Chhattisgarh, where the Congress rule had failed to provide even basic amenities for decades.
Outlining the BJP government’s efforts to rebuild Bastar and rehabilitate victims of Left-Wing Extremism, Mr. Addressing a virtual ceremony to assist Chhattisgarh’s Maoist-affected, Mr. Shah said a disability assistance programme held in Jagdalpur from October 5-7 had benefitted more than 3,600 people with disabilities, including around 1,570 in Bastar alone. Citing the measures taken to rehabilitate former extremists and to extend basic services in affected areas, the Home Minister said approximately 8,526 maoists had surrendered. Around 7,500 people without bank accounts were provided with them, and 1,625 people received reward money.
Shah said eliminating Maoism was not enough; the government must also address the suffering it had caused over five decades, particularly among the region’s poor tribal communities. “The end of Naxalism does not mean that we can erase the suffering of these five decades,” Mr. Shah said, adding that the government must help victims rebuild their lives and dignity. He said security camps will be converted into service centres and community facilities, allowing government officials to focus on health, education, employment and other development needs. “The very places where our security personnel once sat to protect you will now become the places where officials from the Government of India and the Chhattisgarh government will lay the foundation for a developed Bastar,” The Union minister said. Through Bastar Pandum, the government seeks to revive tribal art and culture, while the Niyad Nellanar scheme will improve basic facilities in remote areas, he said.
