A security camp in Bhatpal village of Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district, once located in a Maoist-affected area of Abujhmad, has been converted into a hostel for tribal students, marking a shift in the region’s development priorities.
The former security camp, which served as an important security force base for nearly 15 years, has now been repurposed to provide safe accommodation and educational support to students from remote and inaccessible villages.
The initiative is the first of its kind in the Bastar division. The camp was vacated following an improvement in the security situation, after which the district administration decided to put the existing infrastructure to productive use.
Chhattisgarh was declared free of the Naxal menace on March 31 this year.
On the initiative of Narayanpur Collector Namrata Jain, the premises were recently converted into a hostel. Two facilities for Scheduled Tribe students are currently being operated on the campus.
The pre-matric ST boys’ hostel has a sanctioned capacity of 100 students from Classes 6 to 10, while 114 students are currently staying there. The post-matric ST boys’ hostel, with a sanctioned capacity of 50 students from Classes 11 and 12, currently houses 39 students.
The campus also caters to the residential needs of students associated with the Education City at Kutul.
For students from remote villages, continuing education often involves challenges such as long distances, limited transport and the high cost of accommodation. The new hostel is helping address these difficulties, with the government higher secondary school in Bhatpal located just 50 metres from the campus.
The availability of accommodation from the pre-matric to post-matric level is also expected to help students continue their education and reduce dropouts caused by logistical and financial constraints.
Class 9 student Ritesh Soni from Halamimunjmeta village said the students were happy with the new facility, which provides a safe environment, proximity to school and an opportunity to study with their peers.
Similarly, Class 12 student Komendra from Rajbeda village earlier had to arrange accommodation near his school, located more than 20 kilometres from his village. The hostel has provided him with organised accommodation while reducing the financial burden on his family.
Collector Jain recently conducted a surprise inspection of the hostel and reviewed the rooms, food arrangements, cleanliness and other basic facilities. She also interacted with students and heard their concerns and requirements.
The transformation of the Bhatpal campus highlights the changing priorities in Narayanpur, where improved security is increasingly being accompanied by efforts to expand education, healthcare, roads, livelihoods and other basic services.
It also demonstrates how infrastructure originally established for security purposes can be repurposed for public welfare, particularly in areas that were once severely affected by Left Wing Extremism.
The state government has earlier said that security camps in the Bastar region would gradually be converted into police stations, schools, hospitals, centres for collection and processing of minor forest produce and other public facilities.
The Bastar division comprises seven districts, including Narayanpur.
-PTI
