Chhattisgarh’s efforts to strengthen transportation in its remote forested regions took another significant step forward with the launch of the second phase of the Mukhyamantri Gramin Bus Seva Yojana.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai inaugurated the expansion and virtually flagged off the new buses from his residential office on Wednesday.
Under this phase, 24 additional buses have begun operating on 23 routes across 10 districts of the Bastar and Surguja divisions. With this rollout, 180 more villages are being brought under direct bus connectivity.
Several residents from remote tribal areas arrived at the programme in the same buses introduced during the first phase of the scheme. They shared with the Chief Minister that travel to block headquarters, which once demanded long and difficult journeys, is now considerably easier and more reliable. Villagers from the Sukma–Dornapal–Konta route said they travelled nearly 110 kilometers by bus to attend the event, a journey that earlier posed considerable hardship.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai noted that the Government is committed to ensuring that no village in Chhattisgarh remains cut off from mainstream development. He said the initiative is not only expanding transport services but is also helping bridge social and economic gaps by connecting rural communities to towns and essential services. The strengthened public transport network in remote regions is proving to be a milestone, offering safer, timely and more convenient transportation.
Conveying good wishes to residents of the 180 newly connected villages, the Chief Minister said the improved transport links are expected to ease daily life and open new pathways for growth.
Transport Minister Kedar Kashyap stated that bus services are now reaching even those forested and inaccessible pockets where no public transport had ever operated. He described the scheme as especially beneficial for the tribal-dominated belts of Bastar and Surguja.
The first phase of the scheme was launched on October 4, 2025, by Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, connecting 250 villages. With the second phase now in operation, the coverage has expanded further, adding another 180 villages.
Deputy Chief Ministers Vijay Sharma and Arun Sao, along with other cabinet ministers, Chief Minister’s Secretary Rahul Bhagat, Transport Secretary S. Prakash and senior officials, were present.
