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With the guidance of the Prime Minister and the resolve of the Union Home Minister, a new chapter of change is being written in Bastar: Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai
With the right policy, intention, and leadership, even decades of neglect can be reversed – Chief Minister
Bastar is no longer a symbol of fear and backwardness, but rather a symbol of trust, development, and possibilities: Chief Minister Sai
Raipur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while specifically mentioning Bastar during his address in Parliament on Friday February 6, 2026 , said that Bastar, once considered an aspirational district, is now known nationwide as the “Bastar Olympics.”
The stream of development is now reaching every village in Bastar. There are many villages where bus services began for the first time, and the entire village celebrated it like a festival. He said that there was a time when some districts were considered backward and abandoned. Millions of people living there were denied even their basic needs, forcing them to live in the same conditions.
The lack of development in these areas made the situation worse. The situation reached such a point that such districts were considered suitable for punishment postings, further worsening the situation there. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that this mindset and culture were changed. It was decided that qualified, young, and promising officers would be posted in backward areas and given a full three-year period so that they could work independently.
Concrete decisions were taken one after another, and today the country is seeing their results.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, reacting to the Prime Minister’s statement in Parliament today on the development of Bastar, said that the Bastar region is Chhattisgarh’s good fortune.
This region is extremely rich in natural resources and can be called heaven on earth. There are many beautiful waterfalls, world-famous caves like Kutumsar, the vast Abujhmad forest, and Dhudmaras village, which has been ranked among the 20 best tourist villages by the World Tourism Organisation.
The Chief Minister said that for nearly four decades, development eluded this entire region due to Naxalism, even though Bastar has an area larger than the state of Kerala. Now, the situation is rapidly changing. Due to the determination, clear policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and the indomitable courage of the security forces, Naxalism in Bastar is on the verge of extinction, and development has gained new momentum.
He said that it is because of this faith and enthusiasm that the Bastar Olympics have been organised since last year. Last year, 16.5 million youth participated in the event, while this year the number has increased to 39.1 million. Similarly, the Bastar Pandum was organized last year and is being held again this year.
The Chief Minister stated that the division-level Bastar Pandum will be inaugurated on the 7th by Her Excellency President Draupadi Murmu, while the closing ceremony will be held on the 9th under the chief patronage of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
He stated that the Prime Minister’s repeated mention of Bastar and the Bastar Olympics in his “Mann Ki Baat” program is a matter of pride and good fortune for all of Chhattisgarh, and especially for the Bastar region.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai stated that Bastar is no longer a symbol of fear and backwardness, but rather a symbol of trust, development, and possibilities. This transformation is proof that with the right policy, intention, and leadership, even decades of neglect can be reversed.
