At Maoist commander Hidma’s bastion, power now flows from electricity grid

RAIPUR: First Sadak, now Bijli. Basic needs are beating Maoist terror on the home turf of dreaded commander Hidma in Bijapur.
A cluster of villages some 15km from Puwarti, Hidma’s place of birth, finally see the light as electricity arrives for the first time since Independence. Chhutwahi village was the latest to be hooked up to the electricity grid on Thursday.
Four more villages in the vicinity have been electrified in the past three-four months under state govt’s Niyad Nellanar Yojana that was launched in seven districts of Bastar, Bijapur collector Sambit Mishra said on Friday.
Chhutwahi was once a Maoist stronghold and there was no sign of development in the region. A security camp, established earlier this year, proved to be a game-changer. Finally, development projects could be carried out under the protection of security forces.
“This remote village, located about 50km from district headquarters, remained isolated until last year due to Maoist insurgency and absence of roads. But it has now received electricity for the first time,” said the collector.
Barse Somdu, a resident of Chhutwahi, expressed immense pleasure and gratitude to the district administration to provide electricity in the area and is hopeful for the better future of his children.
This comes only a couple of days after Border Roads Organisation began building a road in an inaccessible part of Bijapur.
The Bijli and Sadak initiatives are part of a concerted effort to bring development to areas worst hit by Maoist insurgency. Thanks to the security camp, the Tricolour was raised for the first time in decades in Puwarti, Hidma’s village, this Republic Day.