Central Forces Vacate 2 Abujhmad Camps To Make Way For Tribal Hostels
Two former security camps in Abujhmad have been converted into hostels for 260 tribal students after Central forces vacated the facilities.
In the first of its kind initiative, two security camps in Abujhmad, a former Maoist fort in Narayanpur district under south Bastar of Chhattisgarh, have been converted into hostels for tribal school students following their vacation by the Central forces.
The former security camp in Bhatpal has been turned into a hostel for 150 tribal students of the local middle English and higher secondary schools.
Similarly, the former security camp in Kurusnar has been converted into a hostel for 110 tribal students of the local primary and middle English schools.
While Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) 41 battalion had established the Bhatpal security camp, the Border Security Force (BSF) 135 battalion had opened the security camp at Kurusnar.
Both the security camps were opened around a decade and a half ago as a counterinsurgency measure.
The Central forces have pulled out of these two security camps recently to pave the way for establishment of hostels for tribal students.
“The forces remained deployed there as long as the areas were considered sensitive. Once the situation improved and the environment became normal, the forces vacated these camps”, Tanuja Nag, assistant commissioner of tribal welfare department, told this newspaper on Monday.
“The initiative, the first of its kind in Bastar division, has created residential facilities for tribal students who came from distant and difficult-to-reach areas to pursue their education”, Narayanpur district collector Namrata Jain said.
The move is a part of wider efforts in Abujhmad to improve access to education, healthcare, roads, livelihoods, and opportunities for the younger generation, the district collector said.
The district collector recently visited the security camp-turned-tribal hostel in Bhatpal to review the residential facilities, food arrangement and sanitation.
She also interacted with the students and heard their requirements and concerns.
The hostel in the former security camp in Kurusnar became operational last week.
The last battle against the Maoists was literally fought by the security forces in Abujhmad as the encounter death of CPI (Maoist) general secretary Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraj in the area on May 21, 2025 had left the outlawed organization in complete disarray.
Chhattisgarh was declared free of armed Maoist activities on March 31, 2026.
