RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh, once the hotbed of left wing extremism for more than four decades, is now undergoing transformation by rebuilding basic infrastructure and reconnecting tribal communities with the outside world. Among the first visible changes is the revival of public transport in remote tribal areas, where schoolchildren and villagers were once forced to walk several kilometres or depend on private vehicles.
After declaring victory in its fight against armed Naxalism on March 31, the bigger challenge now is to restore normal life in areas that remained isolated for decades and provide tribal communities with access to education, healthcare, markets, and employment.
When Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh on November 1, 2000, the newly formed State had a government-run transport system. However, frequent attacks on buses by Naxalites, coupled with poor passenger patronage in remote areas, made operations increasingly difficult. The government eventually shut down the service in 2006.
The absence of a reliable public transport network had a disproportionate impact on tribal communities living in remote villages. While people in urban and semi-urban areas could rely on private vehicles, villagers in Naxal-affected regions often had limited options. For many, walking several kilometres remained the only way to reach schools, hospitals, markets or government offices.
The problem was particularly severe for children. According to data from the Chhattisgarh Tribal Research and Training Institute, the literacy rate among Scheduled Tribes in the State stands at only 59.1 per cent, highlighting the challenges in providing educational access to tribal communities.
It is against this backdrop that the State government introduced a new transport initiative, spearheaded by senior IAS officer S Prakash, a 2005-batch officer originally from Madurai, who is now the Transport Secretary, which seeks to reconnect villages that remained cut off from regular public transport.
Instead of creating an entirely new government-owned transport corporation, the State has partnered with private bus operators to run services to tribal villages. Now, buses operate twice a day, in the morning and evening, ferrying students to schools, small traders carrying tribal and agricultural products to nearby markets, people travelling to nearby towns for employment, and those requiring regular medical treatment at urban hospitals.
The ticket fare starts at Rs 8, which makes the service affordable for tribal families but forces most bus owners to operate at a loss. To ensure that this does not affect services, the government provides subsidies to operators.
People are now travelling to urban areas more frequently, which is helping them economically and also providing better access to education and healthcareS Prakash, Transport Secretary
After the initial phase, the service has now expanded, with 108 buses now being operated across 13 districts, including Bastar.
Speaking to DT Next, Prakash said the primary objective of the initiative was to give tribal communities access to education and essential services. "Reconnecting tribal communities with schools, making it easier for them to access higher education by travelling to urban areas, and ensuring better access to essential services are among the key objectives," he said.
"The response from tribal communities has been very encouraging. People are now travelling to urban areas more frequently, which is helping them economically and also providing better access to education and healthcare. Earlier, because of the Naxal threat, buses could not be operated frequently. Now, after the eradication of Naxalism, the transport system is functioning much better," Prakash said.
The impact is particularly significant for students. A bus can mean the difference between attending school regularly and dropping out. For families, it provides access to markets, hospitals, and government services without having to depend on costly private transport.
For a State emerging from more than 40 years of armed conflict, rebuilding that everyday connection could be one of the most important steps towards restoring normal life.