Badesatti becomes Chhattisgarh's first Naxal-free gram panchayat after introduction of Elvid scheme

Badesatti in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district has become the first gram panchayat in the state to become Naxal-free since the introduction of the Elvid Panchayat Yojana recently, under which such areas will get development projects worth Rs 1 crore.

Badesatti under Phulbagi police station limits, some 45 kilometres away from Sukma district headquarters, achieved the coveted feat after 11 ultras surrendered on Friday.

The Elvid Panchayat Yojana, part of the Chhattisgarh Naxal Surrender/Victim Relief and Rehabilitation Policy-2025, has a provision of sanctioning development works worth Rs 1 crore to village panchayats that facilitate the surrender of Naxalites and pass a resolution declaring themselves Maoist-free, an official said.

"With the support of police, the local panchayat encouraged those linked with the banned outfit in our area to quit violence and join the mainstream. On Friday, 11 cadres from our panchayat surrendered. Now no person from our village is linked to the organisation and our village has become Naxal free," Badesatti sarpanch Kalmu Joga (33) told PTI over phone.

He said the resolution declaring it as Naxal-free will be passed soon in order to make the village eligible for Elvid Panchayat Yojana, Joga added.

"The village has no panchayat building and hospital while the school has classes only till standard eight. The (Elvid Yojana) money will be spent on roads, water supply and other infrastructure works", said Joga, who has studied till Class XII.

Once infamous for Left Wing Extremism, Badesatti took its first step towards peace in 2021 after a Chhattisgarh Armed Force camp was set up there.

"After the camp was set up, a road was constructed in the area and development started taking place. Soon, Naxal activities started declining. Of the eight hamlets in the panchayat, six have power supply, while electrification work is underway in the remaining two. The panchayat has a population of 1700, of which 1400 are voters," said Jamuna Kumar Rajak, Company Commander of CAF's 1st battalion stationed in Badesatti.

"Under Jal Jeevan Mission, water pipeline laying work is underway while an overhead water tank has been erected and a borewell has been dug to supply water to the overhead tank. Badesatti has residential school till class 8th and another ashram (hostel) is being constructed," Rajak added.

Bastar Range Inspector General of Police Sundarraj P said Badesatti has not witnessed any major LWE incident in the last few years, though movement of Maoists is reported occasionally. In September, 2023, Naxalites had attacked a police team on patrol but no one was injured.

In 2020, Naxalites dubbed three men of Singanpara locality in Badesatti as police informers and killed them. In November that year, Maoists damaged a newly-built health centre.

"With the surrender of these 11 Naxalites, Badesatti village is free of the menace and eligible for benefits of the new scheme. Police were in contact with local panchayat representatives for the last few days to encourage members of militia and revolutionary party committee of the banned outfit to surrender. It yielded success," the IG said.

"All the surrendered Naxalites were provided assistance of Rs 50,000 each. They will be further rehabilitated as per the government's policy. Our aim to make the entire Bastar region free of the menace. More villages will be targeted in future (for such surrenders)," he said.

Bastar region comprises Bastar, Kanker, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Bijapur, Dantewada and Sukma districts. During his visit to Dantewada earlier this month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had hailed the Elvid Panchayat scheme and requested people to start a campaign to make every village Naxal-free in Bastar region so as to get development works of Rs 1 crore. Shah has said the Narendra Modi government has resolved to eradicate Naxalism before March 31, 2026.