Kumar Bahukhandi
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai greet the gathering at the Rajyotsav 2026 closing ceremony in Nava Raipur on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Also on stage are Deputy Chief Ministers Arun Sao (right) and Vijay Sharma (left), Agriculture Minister Ramvichar Netam (far right) and Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister Dayaldas Baghel (far left). Photo: channel24india.com via CG/DPR
The Union Home Minister presents Chhattisgarh State Honours at the closing ceremony in Nava Raipur. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai says improved security will help extend public services and create jobs in areas affected by Maoist violence.
Key Highlights
- Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah released the 33rd instalment of the Mahtari Vandan Yojana, covering 67,40,410 women.
- Shah presented State Honours to individuals and institutions for contributions across fields including literature, arts, journalism, sport and public service.
- Shah said improved security could help Bastar develop tourism, create jobs and find wider markets for local crafts.
- Sai said roads, schools, healthcare, electricity and communications would be priorities in areas where Maoist violence had held back development.
- The state has set a target of planting five lakh peepal saplings as part of its plan to develop Nava Raipur as a ‘Peepal City’.
Raipur: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah released ₹632.64 crore under the Mahtari Vandan Yojana and presented the Chhattisgarh State Honours at the closing ceremony of Rajyotsav 2026 in Nava Raipur on Tuesday, November 3. Shah attended as chief guest, while Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai presided over the ceremony marking the 26th anniversary of Chhattisgarh’s formation.
Addressing the gathering, Shah paid tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, under whose government Chhattisgarh became a separate state in 2000. He also acknowledged development work during former Chief Minister Raman Singh’s tenure and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sai with advancing the state’s development.
Shah Links Improved Security to Jobs and Tourism
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah lights the ceremonial lamp as Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai (left) and Raipur MP Brijmohan Agrawal look on during the Rajyotsav 2026 closing ceremony in Nava Raipur on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Photo: channel24india.com via CG/DPR
Shah said tribal communities had lived with violence and fear for years, and that Maoist attacks had damaged infrastructure such as schools and roads. He credited central security forces, Chhattisgarh Police and local communities with improving security in affected areas.
Chhattisgarh has long been described as a state rich in resources whose people remain poor. Over the next decade, the prosperity of this land must translate into better lives for its people, Shah said.
He said those who surrender and give up violence are offered a chance to rejoin society. He also referred to rehabilitation efforts for people disabled by Maoist violence, including the provision of prosthetic limbs.
Shah cited Chitrakote and Tirathgarh waterfalls, Kanger Valley National Park, the Maa Bamleshwari and Maa Danteshwari temples, and Bastar Dussehra as attractions that could draw more visitors. He said tourism could create work for local youth and give artisans wider markets for handicrafts and traditional products. He also pointed to Bastar Pandum and the Bastar Olympics as platforms for tribal culture and sporting talent.
Sai Outlines Development Priorities for Bastar
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai hold a trophy during the State Honours presentation at Rajyotsav 2026 in Nava Raipur on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Photo: channel24india.com via CG/DPR
Sai recalled that Shah had set March 31, 2026, as the deadline for ending Maoism and had made more than a dozen visits to Chhattisgarh over the preceding two years. The Chief Minister credited security personnel and the people of Bastar with the progress made against Maoist violence.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai addresses the Rajyotsav 2026 closing ceremony in Nava Raipur on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Sai said improved security would help accelerate development in Bastar. Photo: channel24india.com via CG/DPR
As the security situation improves, work on schools, healthcare, roads, electricity and communications can move faster, opening up more opportunities for tourism and employment in Bastar, Sai said.
The Chief Minister said the state’s development vision was aligned with the national goal of a developed India by 2047. He cited housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, measures for farmers, higher remuneration for tendu leaf collectors and the Shri Ramlala Darshan Yojana among the commitments the state had acted on. He said more than 55,000 devotees from Chhattisgarh had visited Ayodhya under the pilgrimage scheme.
Mahtari Vandan Transfer Covers 67.40 Lakh Women
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah releases the 33rd instalment of the Mahtari Vandan Yojana during the Rajyotsav 2026 closing ceremony in Nava Raipur on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai stands alongside him, with Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma at the far left and Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao to Shah’s right. Photo: channel24india.com via via CG/DPR
The state government said ₹632,63,67,750 was transferred directly to the bank accounts of 67,40,410 eligible women. The total included 67,33,502 beneficiaries who had completed e-KYC and 6,908 women from Niyad Nella Nar camp areas.
The scheme provides ₹1,000 a month to eligible married women. Sai said cumulative transfers under the scheme had crossed ₹21,000 crore.
State Honours Recognise Contributions Across Fields
Shah presented awards recognising work in tribal welfare, social harmony, women’s empowerment, literature, arts, culture, journalism, sport, agriculture, healthcare and public service. Sai congratulated the recipients and said their work could encourage younger people to pursue public service, research and creative work.
Shah also referred to the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Park, which he inaugurated in Nava Raipur earlier on Tuesday. He said about 2,500 peepal saplings had been planted at the park and that the broader ‘Peepal City’ initiative had a target of five lakh saplings.
Deputy Chief Ministers Arun Sao and Vijay Sharma attended the ceremony alongside state ministers, MPs, MLAs, officials and award recipients. Shah thanked residents who turned out despite the rain.
