1,036 villages in Gadchiroli adopt anti-naxal ‘gaonbandi’ scheme

Nagpur: The state government's 'gaonbandi' scheme of rewarding villages for not giving support or providing assistance to Naxalites has been adopted by 1,036 villages of Gadchiroli. The villages get a minimum of Rs3 lakhs for various developmental works by the government.

In a release, the state Anti-Naxal Operation (ANO) cell has also claimed that 73 villages from Gondia and another 80 from Chandrapur districts too have adopted the scheme. Already Rs224 lakh has been distributed through the schemes since its inception in 2003.

Thirty villages in North Gadchiroli's Korchi taluka had come together to declare their support for the government against the Naxalites and their activities which had paved the way for the creation of the 'gaonbandi' scheme.

In 2003, 112 villages in Gadchiroli had decided to bar Naxalites from entering their hamlets. This year 140 villages have adopted the 'gaonbandi' policy till August.

Out of 1,036 villages whose gram sabha had already passed the resolution of adopting the 'gaonbandi' scheme, 870 have been sanctioned so far while approvals for another 146 are on the anvil.

ANO IG Sharad Shelar said the Naxalites had been forcing the tribals to take up arms, misleading them resulting in development work being stalled. "The villagers have observed now that the Naxalites are the reason behind them being backward. The Naxalites force the villagers at gunpoint to take up arms and oppose every move by the government," said Shelar.

"Now, the villagers are spontaneously coming forward to support the government," he added.

In the scheme, the villagers are granted up to Rs3 lakhs initially and then for every 100 tribals the amount is increased by Rs1 lakh. A village of 1,000 population can get a grant up to Rs10 lakhs in the 'gaonbandi' scheme facilitating improvement of roads, renovation of schools and ashramshalas, digging of wells, installing hand pumps, community halls, construction of gyms, bridges over nullahs and streams.