Former security camp in Bastar now serves as hostel for tribal schoolboys

Not long ago, there was a security camp in Bhatpal, a remote area in Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region. As the security situation improved, the campus, which housed security personnel deployed in the insurgency hit region for over 15 years, found a new identity as a residential facility for over 150 tribal school boys.

This is the first such initiative in the Bastar division where a former security camp had been converted for educational and hostel purposes, Narayanpur Collector Namrata Jain said, “marking a shift from security-oriented infrastructure to facilities focused on education and the future of children in the region”.

Serving as a residential facility since August 11 this year, months after the Union government declared India free from Left Wing Extremism, the campus has two sections, the first a hostel for the pre-Matriculation Scheduled Tribes boys, and the other for post-Matriculation students. The former, catering to students from Classes 6 to 10, has a sanctioned capacity of 100 boys, and currently accommodates 114 students, according to a statement by the district administration. The Post-Matriculation Scheduled Tribes Boys’ Hostel, for students of Classes 11 and 12, has a sanctioned capacity of 50 students, and currently accommodates 39 students, it added. The hostels are meeting the residential requirements of students from Education City, Kutul.

Komendra, a Class 12 student from Rajbeda, located about 22 km away, said the opening of the post-Matriculation hostel had provided him significant relief. Earlier, he had to stay outside the school premises and incur additional expenditure on accommodation. The hostel has now provided him with a safe and affordable residential option close to his school.

The objective was to address one of the key challenges faced by children from distant and difficult-to-access areas — safe accommodation close to school for boys like Komendra, Ms. Jain said.

“The transformation reflects the changing development priorities in areas that have historically faced challenges related to security, connectivity, and access to basic services. As the region moves towards a new phase of development, existing infrastructure is increasingly being utilised to strengthen education, social development, and opportunities for local communities,” Ms. Jain said.