- Under the Naxal rehabilitation policy, 40 surrendered Maoists are being linked to livelihood activities.
- Special attention is also given to the education of Naxalites who have returned to the mainstream.
The same hands that once held guns and embraced violence are now showcasing their talents. Surrendered Naxalites trained at the rehabilitation center in village Chaugel, near Bhanu Pratappur, are crafting woodcrafted nameplates, the Chhattisgarh government logo, boards for village panchayats, keyrings for children, and other decorative items. They are also producing cloth bags and office bags. Under the government’s Naxal rehabilitation policy, the Kanker district administration, under the guidance of Collector Nileshkumar Mahadev Kshirsagar, is making a meaningful effort to equip surrendered Naxalites with skills. They are being trained in woodcraft, as well as courses such as electrician, driving, sewing, and masonry. The young men and women who were once involved in Naxalite activities are now becoming skilled in various professions, so that after joining the mainstream of the society, they can earn a respectable living by engaging in livelihood activities.
- Chaugel Camp Becomes Skill Training Center:
Bastar Division, which has suffered violence under the shadow of Red Terror for years, is now moving towards development. The government has declared Bastar Naxal-free. The government is providing skill development training to Naxalites who have renounced violence and returned to the mainstream, enabling them to live a respectable life. Under the Rehabilitation Policy 2025, surrendered Naxalites are being trained in various creative and employment-oriented activities at the Chaugel (Mulla) camp near Bhanupratappur development block. Once a BSF camp, Chaugel (Mulla) camp has now become a hub for skill training. The district administration is training 40 surrendered Maoists who have returned to the mainstream in various courses, such as woodcraft, electrician, sewing, driving, masonry, etc., and is also paying special attention to their education. They have been provided with study materials, books, pens, and pencils, and qualified teachers have also been arranged. The health department team regularly checks the health of the surrendered Naxalites and provides them with medicines as per requirement. Recreational activities like carrom, musical instruments and various types of games are also organised in the camp. Training in masonry, electrician, driver and horse riding has been imparted at the Chaugal rehabilitation centre in Kanker. Currently, training in sewing machine, wood craft and assistant electrician is being imparted. To empower them for self-employment, a one-day workshop has also been organised by ‘Bihan’ along with the Agriculture Department, Fisheries Department, Horticulture and Animal Husbandry Department.
- Kanker has become the first district to provide employment after training.
Kanker has become the first district to provide employment to Naxalite victims and surrendered Naxalites after training at the rehabilitation center. Collector Mr. Nileshkumar Mahadev Kshirsagar personally handed over appointment letters for private sector jobs to three Naxalite victims and one surrendered Naxalite. These included rehabilitated Saganuram Anchala and Naxalite victims Roshan Netam, Birsingh Mandavi, and Sanjay Netam. All of them were provided appointment letters with private firms, where they will receive a monthly honorarium of 15,000 rupees and other financial benefits. They received training as assistant electricians at the Chaugel camp and have been employed in the private sector. Kanker is the first district in North Bastar to provide employment after training and returning to the mainstream. Expressing happiness on getting a job in the private sector, Maoist victim Shri Birsingh Mandavi said that he got a new lease of life in the camp of village Mulla (Chaugel), where he was made skilled and proficient by giving him free training, and after the training, employment is also being provided by the district administration.