As peace prevails, security camp in Abujhmad turns into tribal hostel

As peace prevails, security camp in Abujhmad turns into tribal hostel

Raipur, A security camp in Abujhmad, once a Maoist bastion in Chhattisgarh, has been converted into a hostel for tribal students, reflecting the changing development priorities in the region, an official said on Sunday.

The initiative at Bhatpal village in the Narayanpur district is the first of its kind in the Bastar division, with the former security camp now serving as an education-support centre, he said.

Located around 25 km from the district headquarters, the camp remained an important security force base for about 15 years, he said.

After the security situation improved and the camp was vacated, the district administration decided to put the infrastructure to productive use, he said.

Chhattisgarh was declared free of the Naxal menace on March 31 this year.

The campus is now being used to provide children from remote and inaccessible villages with safe accommodation and an environment conducive to education, the official said.

On the initiative of Narayanpur Collector Namrata Jain, the premises were opened as a hostel recently. At present, two facilities for Scheduled Tribe students are being operated on the premises, he said.

The pre-matric ST boys' area has a sanctioned capacity of 100 students from Class 6 to 10, while 114 students are currently residing there. A post-matric ST boys' hostel, with a sanctioned strength of 50 students of Class 11 and 12, currently accommodates 39 students, he said.

The premises also meet the residential requirements of students associated with the Education City at Kutul, he said.

The post-matric hostel is particularly significant for students who earlier had to arrange private accommodation near their schools after completing Class 10th, putting an additional financial burden on their families, he said.

For students from remote villages, access to education involves challenges beyond school admission, including long travel distances, transportation and accommodation.

The hostel has resolved these issues, as the government higher secondary school in Bhatpal is located just 50 metres away, he said.

The availability of accommodation from the pre-matric to post-matric level is also aimed at helping students continue their education through higher classes instead of dropping out because of logistical difficulties, the official said.

Ritesh Soni, a Class 9 student from Halamimunjmeta village, said students were happy with the new facility as it provided a safe environment, proximity to school and an opportunity to study alongside their peers.

Komendra, who is in Class 12, earlier had to make separate accommodation arrangements near his school, located over 20 km from his village Rajbeda. The hostel has now provided him with safe and organised accommodation while reducing the financial burden on his family, he said.

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 the students and heard about their requirements and concerns, the official said.

The transformation of the Bhatpal campus reflects the changing development priorities in Narayanpur, where efforts to expand access to education, healthcare, roads, livelihoods and other basic services are gaining importance alongside improved security, he said.

The initiative also illustrates how existing infrastructure created for security reasons can be repurposed to provide educational opportunities to a new generation in a region that was for years identified with Naxal violence, he said.

The state government had said earlier that security camps would be gradually converted into police stations, schools, hospitals, centres for collection and processing of minor forest produce and other public facilities in the Bastar region comprising seven districts including Narayanpur.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.