CM Sai Launches Free Assistive Device Camp for 768 Bastar Divyangjan
Synopsis
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Union Home Minister Amit Shah jointly inaugurated a free assistive device distribution camp under the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, targeting 768 divyangjan in Chhattisgarh's Naxal-affected Bastar districts from October 15-17, 2026.
Key Takeaways
768 divyangjan in Dantewada, Bijapur, and Sukma are targeted for free assistive devices between October 15-17, 2026 .
Devices include artificial limbs, wheelchairs, tricycles, hearing aids, and other assistive equipment.
The camp is organised under the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan , a central government welfare initiative.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and CM Vishnu Deo Sai both participated via video conferencing at the inauguration.
CM Sai cited PM Narendra Modi's guidance and Amit Shah's resolve as driving the state's push for peace, rehabilitation, and development in Bastar.
The camp fits into a long-standing dual strategy of security operations paired with visible welfare delivery in LWE-affected districts.
In the heart of India's most conflict-scarred landscape, a welfare camp is doing something no security operation alone can: handing a wheelchair to someone who lost the use of their legs to Naxal violence, and calling it a step toward dignity. On Thursday, October 15, 2026, the Chief Minister's Office of Chhattisgarh announced that Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai joined via video conferencing the inauguration of a 'Nihshulk Kritrim Ang evam Sahayak Upkaran Vitaran Shivir' (Free Artificial Limb and Assistive Device Distribution Camp) under the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, held in the gracious virtual presence of Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah.
768 beneficiaries across three Bastar districts
The three-day camp, running from October 15 to 17, targets 768 persons with disabilities (divyangjan) spread across Dantewada, Bijapur, and Sukma — three districts in the Bastar division that sit at the epicentre of decades-long Left Wing Extremism. Beneficiaries are slated to receive artificial limbs, wheelchairs, tricycles, hearing aids, and other assistive equipment. The districts were specifically chosen because a significant proportion of their disabled population includes individuals affected by Naxal violence.
CM Sai's message: self-reliance over sympathy
Speaking at the launch, CM Sai framed the camp in terms of agency, not charity. Providing assistive devices to 'brothers and sisters' affected by Naxal violence, he said, is 'an important step toward making their lives easier and increasing self-reliance.' He explicitly anchored the initiative to the policy direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the resolve of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, reaffirming the state government's commitment to accelerating 'peace, rehabilitation, and development in Bastar.'
Seva Sankalp Abhiyan and the ADIP policy lineage
The Seva Sankalp Abhiyan is a central initiative that organises service and welfare camps — including assistive-device distribution — in priority districts, drawing on the longstanding Assistance to Disabled Persons (ADIP) scheme, which has funded artificial limbs and mobility aids across India since its significant expansion in the 2010s. Chhattisgarh governments have run targeted rehabilitation packages in Bastar since the mid-2000s as a structural complement to security operations. Between 2019 and 2024, multiple inter-ministerial camps blending health, welfare, and security outreach were organised across LWE-affected districts — today's camp is the latest in that chain.
Welfare as Bastar's second front
The logic running through this camp is well-established in counter-insurgency doctrine: visible, material welfare delivery in conflict zones works to reduce alienation and support long-term rehabilitation. By pairing Amit Shah's high-profile virtual presence with on-ground device distribution in Sukma and Bijapur — districts that once figured in the most alarming security bulletins — the administration is making a deliberate statement. The goal of a 'Naxal-Free Chhattisgarh', as the hashtag frames it, is being pursued not just through operations but through outstretched hands. Whether the 768 beneficiaries receive their devices on schedule will be the real measure of this moment.
Point of View
Not just a state-level exercise. This mirrors the broader BJP governance model of integrating PM-branded schemes with local outreach in strategically sensitive regions. The real test is implementation fidelity: whether all 768 identified beneficiaries receive functional devices will determine whether this becomes a credible rehabilitation milestone or a publicity camp.
NationPress
15 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan in Chhattisgarh?
The Seva Sankalp Abhiyan is a central government initiative that organises welfare and service camps, including free distribution of assistive devices to persons with disabilities, with a focus on priority and conflict-affected districts.
Who are the beneficiaries of the free assistive device camp in Bastar?
A total of 768 divyangjan (persons with disabilities) from the three Bastar division districts of Dantewada, Bijapur, and Sukma are the targeted beneficiaries, many of whom have been affected by Naxal violence.
What devices are being distributed at the Dantewada Bijapur Sukma camp?
The camp is distributing artificial limbs, wheelchairs, tricycles, hearing aids, and other assistive equipment to eligible persons with disabilities in the three Bastar districts.
Who launched the free artificial limb camp in Chhattisgarh in October 2026?
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Union Home Minister Amit Shah jointly inaugurated the camp via video conferencing on October 15, 2026.
What is the ADIP scheme and how does it relate to Bastar camps?
The Assistance to Disabled Persons (ADIP) scheme is a central government programme that funds free assistive devices for divyangjan across India. Camps in Bastar's LWE districts draw on this scheme as part of the broader rehabilitation and peace-building strategy.
