A veteran leader honoured in stone, and a tribal district given fresh infrastructure — Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai wove both together in a single ceremony on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, connecting tribute with governance from his residence office in Raipur. Via virtual link, Sai unveiled a statue of the late former Union Minister Larang Sai and inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of multiple development works in Balarampur-Ramanujganj, a tribal district in Chhattisgarh's northern Surguja division.

A Legacy Cast in Stone at Balarampur-Ramanujganj

Speaking at the event, CM Sai paid tribute to the late leader's values and public service, saying that 'स्व. लरंग साय जी के आदर्श, समाजसेवा और मूल्यों के प्रति समर्पण की भावना आने वाली पीढ़ियों का मार्गदर्शन करती रहेगी' — 'The ideals of the late Larang Sai ji, his spirit of social service and dedication to values, will continue to guide generations to come.' The statue unveiling marks a formal public commemoration of one of Chhattisgarh's prominent BJP stalwarts, who had served as a Union Minister of State at the Centre.

Larang Sai was a veteran politician from Chhattisgarh with deep roots in the Surguja region — the same belt where Balarampur-Ramanujganj is located. His political career was intertwined with tribal representation from northern Chhattisgarh, making the choice of location for the statue a resonant one.

Development Alongside Commemoration in Surguja

The ceremony did not stop at tribute. CM Sai used the same virtual platform to perform lokarpan (inauguration) and shilanyas (foundation-laying) of several development works in the district. He framed these inaugurations as the truest form of homage: 'Reaching development to every person and ensuring the welfare of the last person in society is the real tribute to the late Larang Sai ji.'

Balarampur-Ramanujganj, nestled in the Surguja division with a predominantly tribal population, has been a focus district for the BJP state government since it assumed power in December 2023. Infrastructure and welfare outreach in this northern corridor have been a stated priority — and today's combination of commemoration and project launches fits squarely into that pattern.

The Virtual Governance Model in Chhattisgarh

The format itself is worth noting. By connecting virtually from Raipur, Sai was able to participate in a district-level event without the logistical weight of a state visit — a model that allows the Chief Minister to cover multiple sites and constituencies in a single sitting. State governments across India have increasingly used virtual inaugurations to accelerate outreach, and Chhattisgarh's current administration has leaned into this approach, particularly for the Surguja region's dispersed geography.

For tribal communities in Balarampur-Ramanujganj, the day brought both a cultural milestone — the permanent memorialisation of a local political son — and the promise of tangible infrastructure. The Chief Minister's message was calibrated to connect the two: honouring the past by delivering the present.