Under CM Vishnu Deo Sai, Bastar Echoes with Development

From ‘Niyad Nellanar’ to a New Dawn of Trust and Transformation

Raipur : Under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai, the tribal heartland of Bastar is witnessing a remarkable transformation. Areas once cut off from mainstream development are now moving towards hope and progress, thanks to the state government’s flagship initiative ‘Niyad Nellanar – Your Ideal Village’ launched on 15 February 2024.

Translated as “Our Good Village” in the local dialect, Niyad Nellanar is a dynamic model of inclusive governance that aims to establish direct government presence and responsive administration in some of the most remote and previously neglected regions. These villages, long deprived of basic infrastructure like electricity, roads, schools, healthcare, and communication, are now becoming symbols of trust, growth, and empowerment.

Chief Minister Sai emphasized that establishing security camps alone was not enough. Real transformation comes only when governance reaches people with sensitivity and holistic development. Guided by this vision, the state government established 54 new security camps in five Naxal-affected districts—Sukma, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Dantewada, and Kanker—and identified 327 villages within a 10-km radius of these camps for focused development.

As part of this initiative:

• Education saw a boost with 31 new primary schools approved, 13 of which are already functional, and 185 Anganwadi centers sanctioned, with 107 operational.
• Healthcare improved with 20 sub-health centers approved and 16 already delivering services where once even basic medicine was inaccessible.
• Communication infrastructure expanded with 119 mobile towers sanctioned, and 43 already functional, providing long-lost connectivity to these regions.
• Infrastructure projects included 144 high-mast streetlights, of which 92 are lighting up villages at night, and 173 road and bridge projects, with 116 approved and 26 completed.

The changes go beyond physical infrastructure:

• Over 70,000 Aadhaar cards and 46,000 age certificates have been issued.
• 11,133 new voters were registered, enabling democratic participation.
• 46,172 Ayushman Bharat health cards were distributed, offering free medical care.
• Under PM Awas Yojana, 12,232 homes are targeted, and 5,984 already approved.
• 4,677 farmers have benefited from the Kisan Samman Nidhi.
• 6,460 households received toilets under Swachh Bharat.
• 18,983 women were given gas connections under Ujjwala and Gaugaas schemes.
• 30 villages received DTH connections, bringing information and entertainment.

This shift from neglect to inclusion, fear to trust, and silence to participation, reflects a deeper transformation. Villagers are now monitoring government services themselves, from Anganwadi attendance to ration shop quality, becoming active stakeholders in governance.

CM Vishnu Deo Sai’s Niyad Nellanar is more than a rural development scheme—it is the rebirth of Bastar. It symbolizes a shift from the sound of guns to the rustle of textbooks, from darkness to light, and from alienation to a participatory democracy. This is how real governance takes root—on the ground, in partnership with the people.