After 20 Years of maoist fear, weekly market reopens in Bastar's Bijapur

RAIPUR: In less than a month since the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) established a new forward area camp in the insurgency-hit Bijapur district of Bastar in Chhattisgarh, the remote Pujarikanker village saw a new dawn of hope with the village market coming back to life after 20 years.

The 196th battalion of CRPF set up a security camp at Pujarikanker in February, which has been considered a Maoist stronghold region. The weekly market was closed due to heavy Maoist movement in this part of the district, and the cadres forced it shut for free and comfortable access to the location.

Villagers walked 20 kilometres to the nearest Usur market to purchase daily-use items. Now, the village market at Pujarikanker will have hundreds of visitors from neighbouring villages such as Bhimaram, Utlapalli, Tamelbatti, Kasturipada, Pujarikanker, Gunjeparti, Rengalpara, and Bangalpada, a CRPF official told TOI.

He said that through FOBs, CRPF is committed to making life easier for thousands of villagers in the Bastar region. The camp is strategically located to aid in the construction of a crucial road linking Bijapur with Usur and Pamed, which will be built under enhanced security measures.

The Pujarikanker region borders Andhra Pradesh and has been one of the worst Maoist-affected regions of Bastar. It is surrounded by forested hills that serve as a safe haven for Maoists to conduct training, hold meetings, and store rations and weapons.

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