Bastar set to double family incomes in three years, says Chhattisgarh CM

Raipur, Jun 11 (PTI) The vast Bastar region, once the epicentre of the Maoist insurgency, is now being transformed into a model of economic revival through employment, education, tourism and agriculture-led growth, said Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Thursday.

The state government has set a target of doubling the average monthly income of families in the region comprising seven districts over the next three years, he declared while speaking at the 11th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

At the meeting, Sai presented a comprehensive roadmap focused on doubling the income of tribal families in Bastar, ushering in a dairy revolution, expanding irrigation facilities across 32,000 hectares, promoting tourism as a major industry and attracting investments in emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors, a government statement said in Raipur.

The meeting, held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, was attended by Union ministers, chief ministers of various states, lieutenant governors of Union Territories, NITI Aayog Vice-Chairperson, members and senior officials.

The Chhattisgarh CM noted Bastar was moving towards a new identity after decades of being affected by Left-wing extremism (LWE).

"Bastar, which bore the brunt of violence for decades, will now become a model of economic resurgence, employment generation, education, tourism and agriculture-led development," he asserted.

The CM said his government has been working rapidly towards the goal of making Chhattisgarh a developed state in line with the vision of 'Viksit Bharat 2047'.

A target has been set to increase the monthly income of families in Bastar to Rs 30,000 over the next three years. Currently, the monthly income of around 85 per cent of families in Bastar is less than Rs 15,000, he said.

The government has been working to strengthen the economic condition of rural families through agriculture, animal husbandry, forest produce, small-scale industries, and various schemes, Sai maintained.

As part of the strategy, the state government has been implementing a "dairy model" under which tribal families will be provided milch cows and buffaloes to create sustainable sources of income. The initiative is expected to generate employment for women and youth while promoting dairy centres, milk collection networks, transportation and local markets, he said.

Sai said two major irrigation projects worth over Rs 2,000 crore are being launched to bring 32,000 hectares under irrigation in the region.

Improved access to water, particularly in the Indravati river basin, will help farmers diversify into vegetables, fruits and other cash crops alongside paddy cultivation, he insisted.

To strengthen healthcare delivery in remote areas, the government is preparing digital health profiles for nearly 3.6 million people in Bastar. The initiative will enable better tracking of medical history, treatments and medicines while improving access to healthcare services, the CM stated.

Sai said around 200 security camps established in the region are being converted into "Seva Deras" (service centres) to provide villagers access to 371 central and state government schemes, including ration distribution, pensions, Ayushman cards, banking, healthcare and education services at a single location.

Highlighting tourism potential, Sai said the government has been developing Chitrakote in Bastar and Sirpur in Mahasamund district as world-class destinations for travellers.

Adventure tourism activities such as water sports, jungle safaris and adventure sports are being expanded in Bastar, while work is underway on a global meditation centre, museum and riverfront development along the Mahanadi in Sirpur, he added.

"Tourism can become a major source of employment. It creates opportunities for hotels, transport operators, guides, artisans, shopkeepers and local entrepreneurs," the CM maintained.

The state government has implemented 435 reforms to improve ease of doing business and strengthen the single-window clearance system for investors, he told the meeting of NITI Aayog, the apex public policy think tank of the Centre.

Two semiconductor manufacturing units are being established in the state, he added.

Education cities worth Rs 100 crore are being developed in Abujhmad and Jagargunda in the Bastar region, while 341 PM SHRI schools, 5,857 smart classrooms and bilingual textbooks in 16 local languages across the state are helping improve educational outcomes, he noted.

The state government has launched missions focused on AI, tourism, sports, infrastructure and start-ups to create new opportunities in employment, technology and entrepreneurship, Sai said.

Under the One District-One Product (ODOP) scheme, local products from Chhattisgarh were gaining access to national and international markets, he added. PTI