Bijapur (Chhattisgarh) [India], January 27: Chilkapalli, a remote village in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, has finally been electrified, a major milestone for the region. This village, located about 50 km from the district headquarters, had remained without electricity since India’s independence.
Chilkapalli is now the sixth village in Bijapur to be electrified under the state’s ‘Niyad Nellanar’ Yojana. Bijapur Collector Sambit Mishra expressed his excitement about the development and outlined plans for further electrification across the district in the coming months.
“It is a moment of great joy that Chilkapalli village was electrified on January 23. This is the sixth village to be electrified under the scheme. We hope to systematically electrify more villages in the coming months,” Mishra told ANI.
The electrification is part of the Chhattisgarh government’s broader initiative to bring basic amenities to tribal villages in remote areas. Under the ‘Niyad Nellanar’ Yojana, the aim is to transform these villages into model communities with essential services such as housing, electricity, drinking water, roads, schools, and bridges.
For the residents of Chilkapalli, the arrival of electricity has brought profound changes to their daily lives. “Earlier, there was no electricity here. Now we have it, which makes cooking easier and helps children study at night,” said a tribal woman. Another resident added, “Now we can watch TV, cook, and even go out at night without fear.”
Chilkapalli, part of the Phutkel Panchayat, had no paved roads until now, further complicating access to essential services. Electricity department employee Faldoor explained that it took 3-4 months of difficult work to establish power in the village due to the challenging terrain and previous security concerns.
“The commute was tough, but the villagers were very supportive. Now that we have electricity, the villagers feel safer from snakes and scorpions at night,” Faldoor said.
In addition to the electrification, the area has seen improvements in security, with the presence of CRPF forces helping reduce the threat of Maoist activities. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai reaffirmed the state’s commitment to eradicating Naxalism, calling it a “cancer” to society and asserting that the government’s efforts are succeeding.
“Our soldiers have made great progress, and we are determined to end Naxalism. It’s in its final stages, and we aim to fully eradicate it by March 2026,” said Sai, acknowledging the sacrifices of the security forces in making such developments possible.