The first mobile tower has been put up at a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) outpost in Tekulagudem in Sukma district. The tower, installed on March 13 within the forward operating base of CRPF’s 150th battalion, will reportedly offer cellular connectivity to various far-flung villages struggling with Maoist militancy.
Sukma, which is a Naxal hotbed of violence, has had poor communication infrastructure for a long time, constraining security operations as well as civilian access to basic services. The setting up of the BSNL mobile tower is an important step in bringing the region into the mainstream of development efforts.
The project falls in line with the Union government’s target to eradicate Left Wing Extremism (LWE) by March 2026 and enhancing the governance of the area. Authorities stressed that connectivity will not just benefit security personnel in operations but also offer access to villagers of Tekulagudem and neighboring hamlets like Timmapuram, Jonaguda, and Puvarti much-needed.
As a token of installation of the tower, a special camp was organized on March 13. On this occasion, CRPF and BSNL officials handed over SIM cards to villagers. The villagers, most of whom were first-time mobile service users, were called upon to be present during the activation of the tower on the night of Holi, adding a greater importance to the occasion.
One of the prominent villages that will be covered by this project is Puvarti, the hometown of Hidma, the top Maoist commander of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA). The authorities hope that mobile connectivity will assist in counter-insurgency and persuade villagers to join mainstream society.
The Tekulagudem forward operating base was opened in January 2024 within the Jagargunda police station boundaries. But its beginning was plagued by violence when Naxalites attacked security personnel on the same day, killing three CRPF personnel and injuring fifteen others.
Appreciating the valour of security personnel in that action, fifteen CRPF personnel have been recommended for gallantry awards. The success of the operation was credited to the use of the newly inducted Wheeled Armoured Amphibious Platform, commanded by commander Seikholen Haokip.
Tekulagudem is among several places where CRPF has intensified its presence in an attempt to put a lid on insurgent operations. In recent years, well over three dozen security camps have been set up in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district, and 14 additional ones are in the pipeline for opening in 2025.
With the mobile tower installed, both security forces and villagers in the region are likely to undergo a change in communication and access to information. Authorities believe that such infrastructural additions will be key to eradicating Maoist control and bringing socio-economic development to one of India’s most difficult landscapes.
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