Gadchiroli's Maraknar gets its first-ever bus service since Independence

Indian Express

4 days ago

Residents of Maraknar—in Gadchiroli district on the foothills of Abujmarh which had no access to public transport until now— got a reason to rejoice as an MSRTC bus made inroads into this remote village on Wednesday, the first time since Independence.
Until last year, residents had to walk five to six hours through dense forests to reach Kothi, the nearest village with bus connectivity. Although a road upto Markanar was built last year, bus services began only on Wednesday. Over 1,200 people, including students, patients, and farmers, are expected to benefit from the bus service.
According to Gadchiroli police, the new bus route from Markanar to Aheri will also benefit nearby villages such as Murumbhushi, Phulanar, Koparshi, Poyarkothi, and Gundurwahi, which for long did not have access to public transport.
The initiative was made possible through the concerted efforts of Gadchiroli Police and the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC). Gram Patil of Maraknar Jhuru Malu Mattami inaugurated the bus while CRPF Assistant Commandant Avinash Chaudhary and police sub-inspector Dilip Gawali of Kothi police station formally flagged it off. The moment was celebrated with the distribution of sweets by the police.
Located just 6km from the Chhattisgarh border in the Bhamragad sub-division, Maraknar is one of several villages now benefiting from recent development under police protection. Roads like the one from Kothi to Maraknar were completed last year, and the ongoing Maraknar to Murumbhushi road has opened up long-isolated areas in the region. A mobile tower was also installed in Maraknar recently, improving communication in the village.
On February 9 this year, villagers unanimously passed a resolution refusing to support Maoists in any way. Subsequently development work was expedited under the civic action programmes by the Gadchiroli Police Force.
In recent years, the Gadchiroli Police Force has facilitated the construction of over 420km of roads and 60 bridges, despite security threats. Earlier this year, similar services were launched from Gatta-Gardewada-Wangeturi and from Katezari to Gadchiroli, also aimed at easing life in some of the most difficult terrains.
This initiative was the result of efforts led by PSI Dilip Gawali, CRPF personnel and Kothi police in Gadchiroli. The initiative was guided and supported by senior officials of Gadchiroli, including Superintendent of Police (SP) Neelotpal, Additional SPs M Ramesh, Satya Sai Karthik, Gokul Raj G, and DySP Vishal Nagargoje, along with SDPO Bhamragad Amar Mohite.