Chhattisgarh CM flags off 24 more buses to boost connectivity in Bastar, Surguja divisions

Raipur, Dec 10 (PTI) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Wednesday flagged off 24 new buses under a government scheme to strengthen transportation system in remote forested regions of Bastar and Surguja divisions.

Sai flagged off the passenger vehicles under Chief Minister Rural Bus Service Scheme (CMRBS) from his residential office in Raipur under Phase II of the programme, a government official said.

"Under Phase II, 24 additional buses have begun operating across 10 districts of Bastar and Surguja divisions. With this rollout, 180 more villages are being brought under direct bus connectivity in the region," he informed.

"In October 2025, the first phase of the scheme was launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah from Jagdalpur, district headquarters of Bastar district, connecting 250 villages, on 34 routes with 34 buses, across 11 districts in Bastar and Surguja divisions," the official stated.

With the second phase now in operation, the coverage has expanded further, adding another 180 villages on the bus connectivity map, the official said.

Several residents from remote tribal areas arrived to attend the second phase of the programme in the buses introduced during the first round of the scheme.

"They told the Chief Minister that travel to block headquarters, which once demanded long and difficult journeys, is now considerably easier and more reliable. Villagers from the Sukma-Dornapal- Konta route said they travelled nearly 110 kilometers by buses to attend the event, a journey that earlier posed considerable hardship," the official added.

Sai asserted his government is committed to ensuring that no village in Chhattisgarh remains cut off from mainstream development.

"The initiative is not only expanding transport services but is also helping bridge social and economic gaps by connecting rural communities to towns and essential services. A robust public transport network in remote regions is proving to be a milestone, offering safer, timely and more convenient transportation," the CM highlighted.

The CM noted the improved transport links are expected to ease daily life and open new pathways for growth of the 180 newly connected villages.

Transport Minister Kedar Kashyap said buses are now reaching even those forested and inaccessible pockets where no public transport had ever operated.

Kashyap opined the transport scheme was especially beneficial for tribal-dominated belts of Bastar and Surguja divisions. PTI COR RSY