Raipur: 07 May 2026: For the first time, the Central Regional Council meeting is being held in Bastar. Special preparations are being made for this. Dial 112 is currently available in 16 districts of the state, which will be expanded to the entire state. Bastar does not produce gold, it produces iron, hence iron ore related plants will be set up in Bastar and a special action plan is being worked out to promote tourism here. The talk of setting up big plants and changing the environment here is just a rumour. I also hear about the talk of being sent to the central team of BJP. This important information was given by the state Home Minister Vijay Sharma in a special conversation with Dainik Chhattisgarh Watch on Wednesday.

After a lengthy discussion with officials following the administrative reshuffle at Mahanadi Bhawan in Naya Raipur on Wednesday, Home Minister Vijay Sharma granted Chhattisgarh Watch an exclusive interview. During this interview, Mr. Sharma provided us with important information. Rumors abounded regarding some of the news, but accurate information was unclear. Therefore, we spoke directly with the Home Minister to confirm the matter.

First of all, the meeting of the Central Regional Council is going to be held on 19th May, please explain it in detail.

Home Minister: The Central Zonal Council meeting on May 19th is being held in Bastar for the first time. It was previously held in Varanasi on June 24th last year. This time, it will be held in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, and our Honorable Chief Minister, Shri Vishnudev Sai, will participate in the meeting. The main agenda of the meeting will be security, internal security, socio-economic development, and infrastructure issues in the Naxal-affected region.

Question: Are there still Naxalites left in Bastar? There's talk of setting up heavy industries in Bastar, which is also being said to be disrupting the ecological balance there.

Home Minister: Look, Bastar is mined for iron, not gold. Therefore, iron-based industries already exist, and related industries will be established. Furthermore, tourism is receiving special attention. Furthermore, development here was hampered by Naxalism. Work is underway to rapidly integrate it into the mainstream. Regarding Naxalism, the main leaders have laid down their arms, and there is a risk that those who have mingled with the general public may become active, but we remain vigilant. Not only Naxalism, but the Left has been rejected across the country. Today's reality is that working towards solving problems through democratic means has become the fundamental mantra. It is our responsibility to ensure everyone's faith in this. Ideologies may differ, but reaching out to the public and working with democratic values ​​through elections is also a respect for the common people. Regarding Bastar, IED removal work is underway. An accident occurred during this period, resulting in the tragic death of DRG soldiers. These IEDs pose a grave threat not only to humans but also to animals, and a courageous effort is underway to remove them. We anticipate that by the middle of next year, we will have removed the