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Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Maoist-hit Bijapur gets closer to mainstream, one mobile tower at a time
A mobile tower may be ubiquitous in most parts of India, but in Bijapur, a sprawling 6,500 sq km district in Chhattisgarh that is one of the worst-hit by Left-Wing Extremism, it is a means to bring villagers living under the shadow of Maoists closer to the mainstream. Over the last 18 months, as operations against Maoists have picked up pace, the local administration has also embarked on a mission to bolster mobile connectivity, installing twice as many mobile towers as compared to the previous two years. The Bastar region comprises seven districts — Bastar, Kondagaon, Kanker, Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur and Sukma. A look at anti-Maoist operations indicates Bijapur is the worst-hit, which makes implementing development activities a challenge, officials say. According to officials, Maoists destroy mobile towers as they believe these will help police informers in remote villages alert security forces. Maoists have set on fire eight mobile towers in the district since 2022, including six in 2024-2025. However, the pushback by forces since 2024 has helped the administration install 48 mobile towers between January 2024 and June 2025, providing coverage to 110 villages in Bijapur. In comparison, 24 towers were installed in 2022 and 2023. One of the mobile towers installed last month was in the Kutru area, where eight security personnel and a civilian driver were killed in an IED blast in January. 'As of mid-2025, significant strides have been made in enhancing mobile connectivity across Bijapur, particularly in its remote and previously insurgency-affected areas. Bijapur likely has around 45% of its villages covered by mobile network, with approximately 300 villages having coverage, many of which are currently part of ongoing government tower deployment efforts,' District Collector Sambit Mishra told The Indian Express. Still, nearly 400 villages in Bijapur district continue to experience limited networks. Detailing the challenges, Bijapur SP Jitendra Kumar Yadav said, 'We made 20 camps in the last two years. It is difficult to install mobile towers; in the last two years, six towers have been sabotaged. We are able to install towers close to the camps. In a security vacuum, this is always difficult.' 'Ongoing initiatives are expected to continue to bridge these gaps, bringing essential services and connectivity to all corners of the district. Erecting mobile towers is challenging due to tough terrain, limited connectivity, and persistent security threats. Yet, every mobile tower we install brings a village closer to the mainstream — enabling digital access, financial inclusion, and emergency services. The grateful smile on the face of the villagers makes every effort worth it.'
Time of India
06-06-2025
- Time of India
Revolution on wheels: Bijapur Express drives hope through Red corridor
Raipur: In the heart of Bastar, a region once synonymous with insurgency and isolation, a quiet revolution is rolling on four wheels. Bijapur district, tucked between the borders of Maharashtra and Telangana, the region has often seemed beyond the reach of modern India — physically, economically, and socially. But that story is beginning to change. And its unlikely hero is a humble community-run bus, 'The Bijapur Express', born under state's Niyad Nellanar scheme. It is not just ferrying people, it's also carrying a sense of belonging. The bus service connects the district headquarters to block-level offices and as many as 33 far-flung villages, threading together the fragments of an otherwise disjointed landscape. Around 1,020 passengers use the service daily. They are not just numbers, but students clutching notebooks, mothers with toddlers, farmers with sacks of produce, and elders with hope in their eyes. For generations, access to basic services in interior villages of Bijapur district meant arduous treks through forested paths and uncertain waits for the occasional transport vehicle. Reaching a hospital, a school, a market or even simply the district headquarters was a logistical challenge, compounded by fear and remoteness, with a lot of time consumption. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Killer New Dodge Ram 1500 Is Utter Perfection (Take A Look) SocialGazette Undo "I remember walking for hours just to get my child to the nearest health center," says Savita, a mother from a village that now lies on the Bijapur Express route. "Now we catch the morning bus, see the doctor, and return by evening." "What we're seeing here is not just transportation, but transformation," said Bijapur collector Sambit Mishra. "When people are able to move, they are able to access rights, services, and opportunities. That's empowerment," the collector added. He said, Bijapur Express is quietly challenging the dominant narrative about this region. Once described solely in terms of conflict and backwardness, Bijapur is scripting a new identity rooted in resilience and progress. And the change isn't just practical — it's deeply emotional. Children from remote hamlets now reach their schools more easily. Women attend markets, community meetings, and health camps with greater confidence. Even govt services, once considered distant and difficult to reach, feel closer and more accessible. It's easy to overlook a bus. They are everywhere, anonymous and unremarkable. But in Bijapur, the Bijapur Express is more than just a ride. WHEELS OF TRANSFORMATION Benefited Niyad Nellanar village Operated from where to where (to and from) Average daily pessengers Bechapal,Timmenar,Etepal,Hurrrepal Bechapal To Bijapur 200 Marudbaka,Pujarikanker,Nambi,Gunjeparti,Galgam,Nadpalli,Puttapalli,Kasturpadh Pujarikanker to Bijapur 180 Peddakodepal, Chipurbhatti, Pokela, Murkipada, Putkel, Chilkapalli and Puskonta,Tarrem,Outpalli,Korsaguda,Biraguda, Chinnagellur Silger To Bijapur 220 - Bedre To Bijapur 200 - Bijapur- Bhairamgarh -Benglur 220 Hiroli, Kawadgaon,Mutvendi,Cherpal, Burji,Padeda, Mutvendi – Bijapur- Pujarikanker 200 Raipur: In the heart of Bastar, a region once synonymous with insurgency and isolation, a quiet revolution is rolling on four wheels. Bijapur district, tucked between the borders of Maharashtra and Telangana, the region has often seemed beyond the reach of modern India — physically, economically, and socially. But that story is beginning to change. And its unlikely hero is a humble community-run bus, 'The Bijapur Express', born under state's Niyad Nellanar scheme. It is not just ferrying people, it's also carrying a sense of belonging. The bus service connects the district headquarters to block-level offices and as many as 33 far-flung villages, threading together the fragments of an otherwise disjointed landscape. Around 1,020 passengers use the service daily. They are not just numbers, but students clutching notebooks, mothers with toddlers, farmers with sacks of produce, and elders with hope in their eyes. For generations, access to basic services in interior villages of Bijapur district meant arduous treks through forested paths and uncertain waits for the occasional transport vehicle. Reaching a hospital, a school, a market or even simply the district headquarters was a logistical challenge, compounded by fear and remoteness, with a lot of time consumption. "I remember walking for hours just to get my child to the nearest health center," says Savita, a mother from a village that now lies on the Bijapur Express route. "Now we catch the morning bus, see the doctor, and return by evening." "What we're seeing here is not just transportation, but transformation," said Bijapur collector Sambit Mishra. "When people are able to move, they are able to access rights, services, and opportunities. That's empowerment," the collector added. He said, Bijapur Express is quietly challenging the dominant narrative about this region. Once described solely in terms of conflict and backwardness, Bijapur is scripting a new identity rooted in resilience and progress. And the change isn't just practical — it's deeply emotional. Children from remote hamlets now reach their schools more easily. Women attend markets, community meetings, and health camps with greater confidence. Even govt services, once considered distant and difficult to reach, feel closer and more accessible. It's easy to overlook a bus. They are everywhere, anonymous and unremarkable. But in Bijapur, the Bijapur Express is more than just a ride. WHEELS OF TRANSFORMATION Benefited Niyad Nellanar village Operated from where to where (to and from) Average daily pessengers Bechapal,Timmenar,Etepal,Hurrrepal Bechapal To Bijapur 200 Marudbaka,Pujarikanker,Nambi,Gunjeparti,Galgam,Nadpalli,Puttapalli,Kasturpadh Pujarikanker to Bijapur 180 Peddakodepal, Chipurbhatti, Pokela, Murkipada, Putkel, Chilkapalli and Puskonta,Tarrem,Outpalli,Korsaguda,Biraguda, Chinnagellur Silger To Bijapur 220 - Bedre To Bijapur 200 - Bijapur- Bhairamgarh -Benglur 220 Hiroli, Kawadgaon,Mutvendi,Cherpal, Burji,Padeda, Mutvendi – Bijapur- Pujarikanker 200
