The IED blast on Aranpur-Jagargunda state road comes months after major initiatives by the Chhattisgarh state police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to set up new base camps, construct roads and open old trade routes which had remained closed for over 15 years.

In February, CRPF and the Chhattisgarh police set up a forward operating base at Bedre in Sukma, a Maoist-infested area, after 17 years. This opened the old trade route connecting Jagargunda with district headquarters of Bijapur and Dantewada. Over the last four years, about 58 new camps have been set up. The strategy followed by the administration is to first set up base camps and then start road construction. This is then followed by setting up of fair price shops, electricity, reopening of schools and provision of other basic facilities. Speaking to ET, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P said, “Aranpur-Jagargunda road (where the IED blast took place) was just completed four months back. The last 3-4 kilometres of this state road is being constructed. This road had remained closed for over 20 years. This new road eases the lives of the local tribals and closes the transit corridors used by the Maoists to travel.”

Roads are expected to bring development to these areas. According to the district administration, a bus service had just been started between Arangpur and Jagargunda 45 days ago. This helped the local villagers in getting better access to village haats to sell minor forest produce collected by them. So far, Aranpur, which is in Kuwakonda block of Dantewada district, has not seen much penetration of government schemes.