Closed schools, hospitals to restart in Bastar: Amit Shah

Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday said that "many schools that had been closed for 40 years (due to Maoist violence) have been reopened by the Chhattisgarh government". Speaking at the closing ceremony of Bastar Pandum 2026 in Jagdalpur, he asked who would benefit from Maoists closing down schools as it would deprive basic education to the new generation.

Shah said till a few years ago, Bastar lived in fear of Maoists, where mortar shells, gunfire, and IED blasts spread terror among tribals. He said in the next five years, Bastar will become the most developed among all tribal areas, and new tourism activities will enrich Bastar with employment opportunities. All closed primary health centres, hospitals, and schools will be restarted, and higher secondary schools and colleges will be built.

He said now post offices were being opened in every village, mobile towers being installed, and roads connecting villages being built properly. He said that in many villages, the national flag has been hoisted after four decades.


Shah urged all Maoists to send their daughters for rehabilitation. "Once Naxalism ends, many new forms of tourism like adventure tourism, homestays, canopy walks, and glass bridges will begin to develop. A new industrial area and an auto gig hub were being developed over 118 acres, which will provide employment to tribal youth," he said.

Shah said work on the Raoghat-Jagdalpur rail project, costing ₹3,500 crore, has begun. The river-linking project is also being taken forward, and efforts are underway to provide vocational training in various trades to more than 90,000 youth. A new irrigation project on the Indravati River, costing ₹36 crore, will also be introduced, which will generate 120 megawatts of power.