Maoist Hidma’s native village 1st to finish census work, in just 3 days

Raipur: Located in the remote Konta block, Puvarti, the native village of slain Maoist commander Hidma and once among the most dreaded places in Chhattisgarh's Sukma, has emerged as the first in the district to complete the initial phase of census enumeration, that too in just three days.The achievement assumes significance not merely as an administrative milestone but as a marker of shifting ground realities in south Bastar, where governance is slowly but steadily reclaiming space once dominated by insurgency.Enumerator Jayesh Patel, an assistant teacher, accomplished the feat. He covered the entire village — home to more than 950 people living in 234 households — ensuring that every family was accounted for in the survey. Sukma collector Amit Kumar felicitated Patel for completing the task in record time.For Patel, the assignment came with its own set of challenges. Puvarti, like many villages in the region, is geographically remote and linguistically distinct. "The biggest hurdle was communication," Patel said, pointing to his limited understanding of the local Gondi dialect. "But I saw this not as a difficulty, but as an opportunity to serve," he added.With support from local schoolteachers, Patel worked to bridge the language gap — going door-to-door, often navigating difficult terrain — and gradually came to understand the village's social fabric. Patel said the successful completion of the exercise in such a short span reflects the growing sense of trust among villagers, something that was hard to imagine until a few years ago.Puvarti was once counted among the villages worst-hit by insurgency, where govt presence was almost nil and access to basic services remained limited. With intensified security operations and sustained administrative outreach, the village has now begun to witness tangible changes.