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From Maoist corridor to ‘tourist hub’?: Inside Chhattisgarh’s plan to develop Bastar region

April 08, 2026 6 min read Internal Security Polity & Governance GS Paper 3 (Internal Security Infrastructure) GS Paper 2 (Governance)
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What Happened

  • The Chhattisgarh government has unveiled a comprehensive "Bastar 2.0" development blueprint, submitted by the Chief Minister to the Prime Minister, aimed at transforming the formerly Maoist-dominated Bastar region into a hub for tourism, start-ups, infrastructure, and innovation.
  • The government has declared that Naxalism has been substantially eliminated across Chhattisgarh including Bastar, citing a significant reduction in Maoist-controlled territory and Left Wing Extremism (LWE) incidents over the past two years.
  • The development blueprint is structured around five pillars: "Saturate, Connect, Facilitate, Empower, and Engage" — prioritising universal basic infrastructure, road and digital connectivity, ease of doing business, tribal empowerment, and community participation.
  • Tourism development is central to the plan: key sites including Chitrakote Waterfall, Tirathgarh, and Kanger Valley National Park are being developed with adventure tourism infrastructure including a canopy walk and glass bridge.
  • The state budget has allocated Rs 100 crore for "Education Cities" in Abujhmad and Jagargunda (historically Maoist strongholds), and Rs 2,024 crore for construction of barrages on the Indravati River.

Static Topic Bridges

Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in India — Strategic and Constitutional Context

Left Wing Extremism (also called Naxalism or Maoist insurgency) has been active in parts of central, eastern, and southern India since the late 1960s, with roots in the Naxalbari uprising of 1967. It is classified as an internal security challenge, not an external one. The Government of India has addressed it through a dual-track approach: security operations (coordinated by the Ministry of Home Affairs) and development under the "Aspirational Districts" programme and the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme.

  • The "Red Corridor" historically covered parts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Bihar.
  • Under Article 355, the Centre has a duty to protect States against internal disturbance — this is the constitutional basis for central security assistance in LWE-affected areas.
  • The National Policy and Action Plan for LWE (2015) identified 106 districts for focused interventions; this was revised in 2021 to 90 districts.
  • The MHA's SAMADHAN strategy (Smart Leadership, Aggressive Strategy, Motivation, Actionable Intelligence, Dashboard-based KPIs, Harnessing Technology, Action plan for each theatre, No access to financing) guides security operations.

Connection to this news: Bastar has been a core node of LWE activity. The government's shift from security operations to development-led transformation mirrors the SAMADHAN framework's emphasis on addressing the socio-economic roots of the insurgency alongside kinetic operations.

Fifth Schedule Areas, PESA Act, and Tribal Rights in Bastar

Bastar is a Scheduled Area under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution (Article 244), home to multiple tribal communities including Gonds, Murias, Halbas, and Baigas. The Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) extends self-governance to Scheduled Areas, granting Gram Sabhas primacy over land acquisition, minor forest produce, and local natural resources. The Forest Rights Act, 2006 (FRA) additionally provides individual and community forest rights to tribal communities.

  • Fifth Schedule (Article 244(1)): Empowers the President and Governors to make "Regulations" to protect tribal interests and restrict land transfer to non-tribals in Scheduled Areas.
  • PESA 1996: Requires that Gram Sabhas be consulted before acquisition of land in Scheduled Areas; gives tribal communities rights over minor forest produce, water bodies, and minor minerals.
  • Chhattisgarh enacted its PESA Rules in 2022, operationalising gram sabha powers in the state.
  • Forest Rights Act, 2006: Recognises individual cultivation rights (up to 4 hectares) and community forest rights for tribals who have been forest-dependent for at least three generations.
  • Infrastructure and tourism development in Fifth Schedule Areas must navigate consent requirements under PESA and the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act, 2013.

Connection to this news: The Bastar 2.0 blueprint's tourism and infrastructure ambitions are set against a backdrop of significant tribal land rights — any large-scale development will require compliance with PESA's gram sabha consent requirements and FRA provisions, making governance of the transition as challenging as the security dimension.

Aspirational Districts Programme and Development-Security Nexus

The Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP), launched in January 2018 by NITI Aayog, targets the most underdeveloped districts in India for convergent, measurable improvements in health, education, agriculture, financial inclusion, and infrastructure. Many LWE-affected districts — including those in Bastar — fall under the ADP. The programme uses a data-driven "delta ranking" to measure incremental improvement, incentivising district administration to compete for progress.

  • 112 Aspirational Districts were identified in 2018; several Bastar districts (Bijapur, Sukma, Dantewada, Narayanpur, Kanker) are on the list.
  • ADP is coordinated by NITI Aayog with nodal central ministries for each district and private sector "prabhari" partners.
  • The Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme reimburses states for security forces' costs in LWE-affected areas and funds community policing, surrender and rehabilitation of Naxalites.
  • Road Requirement Plan (RRP-I and RRP-II) specifically targets all-weather road connectivity in LWE-affected areas.

Connection to this news: Bastar 2.0 builds upon the Aspirational Districts framework — the Education Cities, barrages, and tourism infrastructure are consistent with ADP metrics around education access, water, and economic opportunity, representing a post-conflict development model.

Federalism and State Autonomy in Internal Security

Under the Seventh Schedule (List II, Entry 1), "public order" and "police" are State subjects, making security operations in Naxal-affected areas primarily a state responsibility. However, the Centre provides critical support through the Central Armed Police Forces (CRPF, BSF deployed under Article 355), the SRE scheme, and intelligence coordination through the Multi Agency Centre. The balance between state autonomy and central coordination is a recurring federal tension in LWE management.

  • Seventh Schedule, State List, Entry 1 and 2: Public order and police are state subjects; Entry 2A (inserted by 42nd Amendment, 1976) added deployment of armed forces of the Union in aid of civil power.
  • Article 355 imposes on the Centre a duty to protect every state against external aggression and internal disturbance — enabling central force deployment without state request.
  • The Unified Command structure in LWE states coordinates state police, CRPF, and intelligence agencies under state government leadership with central liaison.
  • Chhattisgarh has been the most LWE-affected state by casualties; the state's DRG (District Reserve Guard) has been credited with significant operational success in Bastar.

Connection to this news: Chhattisgarh's presentation of Bastar 2.0 to the Centre illustrates the cooperative federal model in post-conflict development — state leads development planning while the Centre provides financial and security backing under constitutional provisions.

Key Facts & Data

  • Bastar is a Fifth Schedule Area under the Indian Constitution (Article 244, Fifth Schedule).
  • PESA Act 1996 extends panchayati raj self-governance to Scheduled Areas with gram sabha primacy.
  • Chhattisgarh enacted PESA Rules in 2022.
  • State budget: Rs 100 crore for Education Cities in Abujhmad and Jagargunda; Rs 2,024 crore for Indravati River barrages.
  • Aspirational Districts in Bastar division: Bijapur, Sukma, Dantewada, Narayanpur, Kanker.
  • SAMADHAN is the MHA's strategy acronym for LWE management.
  • Article 355 of the Constitution is the constitutional basis for central assistance to states against internal disturbance.
  • Forest Rights Act, 2006 recognises individual forest rights up to 4 hectares and community forest rights in tribal areas.