SIGNALLING an ambitious push for Chhattisgarh’s next phase of development, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Friday presented a comprehensive roadmap to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking the Centre’s support for a series of infrastructure, industrial and welfare initiatives. During a meeting at Parliament House, Sai outlined the State’s vision for the transformation of Bastar and sought early approval for three key proposals, a Rs 10,500 crore gasbased urea plant at Rajnandgaon, permanent grid connectivity for 461 remote villages and the establishment of an All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in Raipur or Bastar. The Chief Minister said Bastar, once associated with Left Wing Extremism, was witnessing a sustained transformation driven by security, public confidence and development. He said the State Government’s objective was to ensure that the gains made in infrastructure, education, healthcare, livelihoods, tourism and connectivity become permanent and fully integrate Bastar into the mainstream of development. Seeking early approval for the proposed urea plant, Sai said the State had already provided the required land and completed all statutory clearances. The project, he said, would improve fertiliser availability for farmers in Chhattisgarh and neighbouring States, while also generating industrial investment, employment and allied economic activity. Sai also requested special Central assistance to connect 461 villages, which are currently dependent on off-grid power systems because of security and geographical constraints, to the permanent electricity grid.

 

He said reliable power supply would strengthen education, healthcare, communications, livelihoods and small enterprises in these remote areas. The Chief Minister further urged the Prime Minister to approve the establishment of an AIIA in Raipur or Bastar, citing Chhattisgarh’s rich medicinal plant resources and traditional tribal healthcare knowledge. He said the institute would strengthen healthcare delivery, medical education, research and the herbal economy, besides creating new opportunities in the tribal belt. Presenting Bastar Vision, Sai said the Niyad Nella Nar 2.0 and Bastar Munne initiatives were extending government services to 5,542 villages and benefiting nearly 39 lakh people. Welfare schemes including the Public Distribution System, Ayushman Bharat, Jan Dhan accounts, Forest Rights Act benefits and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana were being delivered to the last mile, he said. Sai said that 421 schools shut for years in insurgency-hit areas have reopened, while Education Cities are being developed at Orchha and Jagargunda to give tribal students quality residential education. Under the Mukhyamantri Swasth Bastar Abhiyan, over 34 lakh people have been screened, and healthcare facilities are being expanded in Jagdalpur, Geedam and other institutions. On connectivity, he highlighted progress on the Rs 3,513 crore Jagdalpur-Rowghat rail line, expanding air services, the Raipur-Visakhapatnam Expressway and a proposed Indravati barrage.

 

He also said Bastar Dussehra is being promoted as a global tourism brand, with over 4 lakh youth joining the Bastar Olympics. Chief Minister Sai told the Prime Minister that Chhattisgarh has received investment proposals worth nearly Rs 8 lakh crore since the launch of the Industrial Development Policy 2024-30, with interest coming in sectors such as AI data centres, semiconductors, hyperscale data centres, global BPOs, garments, chocolate manufacturing, electronic equipment and intraocular lens production. He said the State has also secured top rank in NITI Aayog’s Investment Friendliness Index for regulatory ease and institutional support, and has enacted the Ease of Doing Business Act, 2026, providing for risk-based regulation, self-certification and time-bound approvals. On women’s empowerment, Sai said 10.42 lakh women in Chhattisgarh have become Lakhpati Didis, and the next phase aims to make another 14 lakh women financially self-reliant. He also invited the Prime Minister to the proposed Lakhpati Didi Sammelan in Raipur in 2027. He further informed that Chhattisgarh has launched a Rs 500 crore AI Mission to promote artificial intelligence in governance, while the Seva Setu portal has made 528 services from 36 departments available online.

 

Digital land reforms, including automatic mutation and Aadhaarenabled registration through video KYC, have improved transparency and efficiency. Sai also highlighted an 18 per cent rise in GST revenue, higher mineral revenue, and the auction of the country’s first tin and lithium blocks. He said Chhattisgarh remains committed to the vision of Viksit Chhattisgarh and Bastar’s inclusive development.