Sukma (Chhattisgarh) [India], February 28 (HBTV): The forested Sukma district, long isolated due to Naxal violence and damaged roads, is witnessing renewed connectivity under the “Chief Minister’s Rural Bus Scheme.”
The initiative, backed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, combines strengthened security deployment with accelerated road and culvert construction to connect remote villages in Bastar Division with district and divisional headquarters.
Bus services have resumed in previously inaccessible areas such as Sukma, Kistaram, Gollapalli and Jagargunda, improving access to healthcare, education, employment and essential services.
Bastar IG P. Sundarraj said connectivity is being prioritised through continuous road and culvert construction, with several projects completed and others underway. He noted that the rural bus scheme has received a positive response and will further support economic development and improve villagers’ livelihoods.
Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chauhan said that Naxalite activities had kept interior areas cut off for years, disrupting transport services. Following the establishment of security camps, key locations including Kistaram, Gollapalli, Todnapal, Jagargunda, Poorti, Badesatti and Chinnar have been reconnected by road, enabling bus operations to resume.
Bus drivers and residents highlighted the impact. Kishore Kumar Sethia, a driver from Dantewada, said that before road construction, villagers had to walk long distances and wait days to complete essential tasks. Now, regular bus services between Sukma and Gollapalli have significantly eased travel.
Another driver, Puran Singh, operating between Sukma and Badesetti, said road conditions have improved, though some culverts are still under repair. Passengers, including Fujja Vetti and Vetti Ganga, described the service as a major relief, especially for women, the elderly and the sick, noting that journeys that once took two days can now be completed in a single day.
The renewed transport network in these formerly cut-off regions is being seen as a symbol of improved security, infrastructure development and integration with the mainstream.
(ANI)