NEW DELHI: Chilkapalli village in Bijapur, a former Naxal-prone area, has received electricity for the first time since India’s independence under Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai’s ‘Niyad Nellanar’ scheme.
The village, located about 50 km from the Bijapur district headquarters, is the sixth village in Bijapur to be electrified under the ‘Niyad Nellanar’ Yojana, a government initiative aimed at providing basic amenities to tribal villages in remote areas.
Bijapur Collector Sambit Mishra expressed his joy at the development, stating that the electrification of more villages is planned in the coming months. The electrification of Chilkapalli village is part of the Chhattisgarh government‘s efforts to make these villages “ideal villages” by providing essential services such as housing, electricity, drinking water, roads, bridges, and schools.
“It is a matter of great joy that electrification took place in Chilkapalli village on January 23. This is the sixth village where we have completed electrification, and we hope that in the next few months, we will electrify more villages systematically as soon as possible,” said Bijapur Collector Sambit Mishra.
For the residents of Chilkapalli, electricity has brought about significant improvements in their daily lives. A tribal woman said, “Earlier there was no electricity here. Now electricity has come, it is good for cooking food, it is also good for children to study at night.”
Another resident of Chilkapalli village expressed her joy over her village getting electricity, saying, “Now that we have electricity, we can watch TV, cook, and even venture out at night without fear.”
Commuting to set up electricity in Chilkapalli village was difficult, according to Faldoor, an employee of the electricity department in Bijapur. It took 3-4 months for electricity to reach the village, which is part of the Phutkel Panchayat and had no paved road connecting it until now.
“Commute was difficult (without electricity). The government officials talked to the villagers and then set up electricity here. The villagers say that now that the government has provided electricity, they can protect themselves from snakes and scorpions. It took 3-4 months for electricity to reach here,” Faldoor said.
In addition to electricity, the deployment of the CRPF has also removed the dark shadow of Maoism, which had previously plagued the area. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai reaffirmed the state’s strong stance in eradicating Maoism, describing it as cancer to society.
“Our soldiers have achieved huge success and our government is working to end the Naxalism. Maoism is like a cancer and we will succeed in destroying it completely. We will fulfil the resolution of the PM and the HM. I salute the courage of our security force personnel and praise them… Naxalism is taking its last breath and we will end it by 31 March 2026,” said Sai.