Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah today addressed, via video conference, an assistive devices distribution ceremony for Divyangjans, including those affected by Naxal violence, under the ongoing ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’, being organised to mark 25 years of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s Seva and Samarpan.
Addressing the gathering, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that the second phase of the Divyang Seva Camp was being launched today as part of the ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’. Initiatives under this campaign are being organised across the country to mark 25 years of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s ‘Seva’ and ‘Samarpan’, first as the Chief Minister of a state and subsequently as the Prime Minister of India. Under the campaign, assistive prosthetic devices are being provided in Chhattisgarh to make life easier for tribal persons with disabilities who have suffered as a result of Naxal violence.
Shri Amit Shah said that the programme had been held in Jagdalpur from 5 to 7 October 2026, benefiting more than 3,600 persons with disabilities. More than 1,570 beneficiaries were from Bastar alone, a figure that reflects the extent of suffering in the region. He said that five decades of Naxalism had inflicted immense suffering on the poor tribal communities of Bastar. He said that using IEDs to inflict disabilities on innocent civilians in pursuit of political objectives was the gravest violation of human rights. Shri Shah said that the Modi government had been firmly committed to eliminating Naxalism from the entire country before 31 March 2026, and that Naxalism had now been eliminated. However, he emphasised that the end of Naxalism alone would not erase five decades of suffering. We must heal the wounds inflicted by this suffering, help victims stand on their feet again, and ensure they can live with dignity and respect.
Union Home Minister said that the Chhattisgarh government, district administration, State Social Welfare Department, Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti, Jaipur, Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana and several others were contributing to this noble endeavour. He said that the Modi government was committed to providing every person with a disability and every victim an opportunity for rehabilitation. The Government of India, he added, stood firmly alongside the Chhattisgarh government in supporting these efforts. Shri Amit Shah said that every trace of Naxalism must be eliminated and Bastar must once again become a vibrant and thriving region. Significant work had already been undertaken in this direction, he said, adding that traditional tribal leadership in the Bastar region had made a major contribution. By providing persons with disabilities with wheelchairs, tricycles, crutches, hearing aids, smart walking sticks, artificial limbs and other assistive devices, the government could help usher in a new era of hope and happiness in Bastar.
Shri Amit Shah said that the Chhattisgarh Government had undertaken several initiatives, including the Bastar Olympics, Bastar Pandum, Niyad Nellanar and the Chief Minister’s Samuhik Bus Yojana, to transform Bastar, which has suffered from violence, into a vibrant and joyful region once again. He said that Bastar, where the sounds of gunfire and bomb blasts once created an atmosphere of fear, is now witnessing thousands of young people participating in sports and keeping their traditions alive. He said that in a region where the sounds of gunfire and bomb blasts once prevailed and fear was widespread, thousands of young people were now participating in sports and keeping their traditions alive. He said that Bastar Pandum had been a major initiative to revive tribal art and culture. Under the Niyad Nellanar scheme, significant efforts had also been made to expand basic infrastructure and extend essential services to Bastar, which had remained deprived of such facilities under opposition governments for five decades.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that approximately 8,526 Naxalites have surrendered. Bank accounts have been opened for 7328 of them who did not previously have accounts. A total of 1620 people have received reward money, 7,882 have received incentives, 455 have been provided jobs, and 129 have been allotted land. In addition, under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, 4014 beneficiaries have received houses, and more than 2308 tribal people have undergone skill development training. He further stated that 6763 new ration cards have been issued, 2808 families have been provided free electricity, and work has begun on 372 new road projects. Construction is underway on 670 small bridges, 48,526 people have been issued Aadhaar cards, and 44 gram panchayats have been recognised under the ‘Ilwad Panchayat Awards’.
Shri Amit Shah said that more than 500 security camps have been established, of which over 200 will be converted into Shaheed Veer Gundadhur Seva Dera. Officials of the Government of India and the Chhattisgarh government will now work from the very camps where security personnel once sat to protect the people, laying the foundation for a developed Bastar. He said that these public service centres would help the government realise its vision of a developed Bastar.
