Jashpur (Chhattisgarh) [India] June 21 (ANI): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has announced the launch of the Chief Minister Bus Service Scheme on Saturday.

The Chief Minister emphasised that the state government has made provisions for the bus service scheme in the budget and has instructed collectors in every district, especially in Bastar and Sarguja divisions, to identify routes that require bus services. The scheme will focus on routes where there is a demand but no existing bus services.

Addressing the reporters, CM Vishnu Deo Sai said, 'Chief Minister Bus Service Scheme has been started and its provision has also been made in the budget and in every district, and especially in Bastar and Sarguja divisions, we have instructed the collectors to choose such routes where there is movement of people but there is no bus operation...

CM Sai also said that the government will compensate for the losses incurred by operating buses on these routes, similar to how the government supports flights on this route (Raipur to Jagdalpur) with low passenger.

'The government will compensate for this. The Prime Minister said that even a person wearing slippers will travel by air, so just like a flight is running from Raipur to Sarguja, similarly, a flight is also running from Raipur to Jagdalpur. There are not many passengers there, so the government compensates for this. So we will do the same for buses as well.', CM Sai stated.

Earlier, in a significant push for development in the Bastar region, the Chhattisgarh government announced the revival of the Bodhghat irrigation project under the leadership of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai. The project, planned on the Indravati River in Dantewada district, aims to provide permanent irrigation and generate electricity for the rural areas of Dantewada, Bijapur, and Sukma districts.

The ambitious project, which will come up at an estimated cost of around Rs 49,000 crore, is expected to transform agricultural prospects and boost economic activity across the region.

Speaking to ANI, Bhairamgarh Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Pradeep Kumar Dongre said, 'Restarting this scheme will be a welcome step because it will irrigate about 3.5 lakh hectares in Sukma, Bijapur, and Dantewada district and produce electricity.'

'If a farmer's land, house, or agricultural area comes in the submergence area, the government will compensate for it... Therefore, the farmers should not oppose this scheme because it will be a big scheme for Chhattisgarh,' he added. Local businessman Narendra Nag highlighted the potential benefits for the regional economy.

He told ANI, '... This could be a good initiative if the government implements this project honestly. This will provide electricity to the entire region, employment will increase, there is also a plan for fisheries, and the area under irrigation will increase... Local citizens and businessmen will also benefit from this...'

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai had emphasised the immense potential of the tourism sector in the state, particularly in the Bastar and Surguja regions, and reiterated the government's commitment to eradicating Naxalism to pave the way for development and employment generation.

Speaking to the media, CM Sai had stated, 'There was immense potential in the tourism sector in Chhattisgarh, especially in Bastar and Surguja... but the biggest hurdle was Naxalism, which the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister had resolved to eliminate... We were looking at tourism as an industry, that is, the provisions that were being given to the industrial sector would also be extended to the tourism sector, and a complete roadmap was being prepared for this.' (ANI)