Despite abundance of natural resources and rich cultural tradition, Bastar is facing step motherly treatment in terms of development work and creation of employment opportunity, which is also the root cause of increase in Maoist insurgency in the area.
For meagre amount of money, Maoist outfits lure the innocent tribal youth to their fold. The problem does not end here itself, frightened over the rising insurgency industrialists are forced to shut their units leading to job loss.
Unfortunately, though the administration talks of rising insurgency and its anti-development impact, it has never ever given a thought, at any level of governance, why the youth turn rebels at all.
Paper Mill remains a distant dream
Raw material for Amlai Paper Mill, Bamboo and its pulp, are sent from Bastar thanks to abundance of fine quality of bamboo found here. However, either due to slackness of public representatives or due to apathetic attitude of our ruling elite Bastar did not has its own paper mill and has been reduced to merely a supply centre.
This is not only unfortunate but also an epic example of how the State administration is determined to maintaining status quo of both Bastar remains a supply centre instead of a production centre and its Tribal culture too remains in natural State (in tatters).
Notably, bamboo grown in Ramapuram area of Bijapur district continuously feeds Nepa Nagar and Bhadrachalam paper mills while Tumnar area is also famous for its high quality bamboo and pulp, the main raw material for Paper. Both of these centres are considered as best bamboo depots in Asia.
Have potential to feed own Sugar Mill
Bastar grows fine quality of sugarcane in abundance also but there is no sugar mill here. On the instance of Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh two sugar mills were opened in Kawardha areas, the home town of the CM, but due to lack of raw sugarcane both mills remained under utilised and thus inching towards the status of sick units. Had those mills been opened in Bastar, this situation could not have arisen ever, the experts claimed.
Deprived of Ayurvedic Research Centre
Veteran Ayurvedic experts of State as well as country have reportedly recommended to establish an Ayurvedic or Herbal Research Centre in Raipur overlooking the fact that Bastar not only is blessed with maximum number of medicinal plants available in Asia but also scores of people knowing the usage of these plants reside here. In this situation establishing Ayurvedic or Herabal Research Centre in Raipur will simply be depriving Bastar of its due.
Abundance of precious stones, lack of Ratnaparkhis
Bastar has abundant deposits of Emerald, Sapphire as well as Corundum and these are considered as of best quality but unfortunately there is lack of interest in our leadership to tap this resource for the benefit of masses.
This is why, not a single diamond cutting centre as well as precious stone processing centre has been opened despite the fact that it would have opened new vistas in the field of jobs as well as self employment for the tribal youths besides curbing their drift to Red rebellion.