HM Amit Shah Declares Chhattisgarh Naxal-Free, Targets Tourism Growth

• Amit Shah declares Chhattisgarh Naxal-free and praises security forces.
• Government announces plantation of five lakh Peepal trees in Naya Raipur.
• Shah predicts Chhattisgarh will rank among India’s top three tourism states.
• Home Minister highlights economic growth and expansion of education infrastructure.

GG News Bureau
Raipur, 3rd Nov: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday declared that Naxal-free Chhattisgarh had become a reality, congratulating the state’s people, particularly tribal communities, and security forces for the achievement. He said the government would now focus on accelerating development, tourism and economic prosperity.

Addressing the closing ceremony of Chhattisgarh Rajyotsav in Raipur, Shah congratulated the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Chhattisgarh Police for their role in eliminating the Naxal threat. He said the achievement fulfilled a long-standing commitment to make both Chhattisgarh and the country free from Naxalism.

Recalling the formation of Chhattisgarh in 2000 under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Shah said Vajpayee had given the state its identity, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi had nurtured its development.

The Home Minister alleged that Naxalism had deprived tribal regions of education, infrastructure and economic opportunities. Questioning those who supported Naxalism in the name of human rights, he asked whether the rights of poor tribal people were being ignored.

He said the government was providing artificial limbs to people who had lost their arms or legs in Naxalite violence to help them rebuild their lives.

Shah also criticised the opposition, accusing it of supporting Naxalite organisations and unconstitutional parallel administrations. Referring to the former Naxalite structure known as Janatana Sarkar, he alleged that innocent journalists, social workers and students had been killed under its authority.

He said the government’s surrender policy had encouraged armed Naxalites to return to the mainstream, claiming that around 90% of those who surrendered had chosen to lay down their weapons. He maintained that those who followed the law would be treated as ordinary citizens, while violence would be dealt with firmly.

Turning to development, Shah said the Chhattisgarh government had fulfilled more than 70% of the guarantees made by the Modi government. He highlighted progress in paddy procurement, agriculture, forest produce, animal husbandry and the MSME sector.

He expressed confidence that Chhattisgarh would emerge among the country’s top three tourism destinations in the coming years. He cited Chitrakote and Tirathgarh waterfalls, Kanger Valley National Park, Maa Bamleshwari Temple, Maa Danteshwari Temple and the Bastar Dussehra festival as major attractions.

The Home Minister also announced that five lakh Peepal trees would be planted in Naya Raipur to transform it into a ‘Peepal City’, which he described as an initiative towards creating a large eco-friendly urban centre.

Highlighting the state’s economic progress, Shah said its annual budget had increased 30-fold, per capita income 17-fold and Gross State Domestic Product 25-fold. He also pointed to the expansion of educational infrastructure, including ITIs, engineering colleges, polytechnics and universities, and said the literacy rate had risen from 65% to 79%.

He said the government’s vision was to transform Chhattisgarh from a state marked by fear into one defined by trust and prosperity, adding that both its natural resources and its people should benefit from development.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma and other dignitaries attended the ceremony.