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Time of India

Revolution on wheels: Bijapur Express drives hope through Red corridor

Raipur: In the heart of Bastar, a region once synonymous with insurgency and isolation, a quiet revolution is rolling on four wheels. Bijapur district, tucked between the borders of Maharashtra and Telangana, the region has often seemed beyond the reach of modern India — physically, economically, and socially. But that story is beginning to change. And its unlikely hero is a humble community-run bus, 'The Bijapur Express', born under state's Niyad Nellanar scheme. It is not just ferrying people, it's also carrying a sense of belonging. The bus service connects the district headquarters to block-level offices and as many as 33 far-flung villages, threading together the fragments of an otherwise disjointed landscape. Around 1,020 passengers use the service daily. They are not just numbers, but students clutching notebooks, mothers with toddlers, farmers with sacks of produce, and elders with hope in their eyes. For generations, access to basic services in interior villages of Bijapur district meant arduous treks through forested paths and uncertain waits for the occasional transport vehicle. Reaching a hospital, a school, a market or even simply the district headquarters was a logistical challenge, compounded by fear and remoteness, with a lot of time consumption. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Killer New Dodge Ram 1500 Is Utter Perfection (Take A Look) SocialGazette Undo "I remember walking for hours just to get my child to the nearest health center," says Savita, a mother from a village that now lies on the Bijapur Express route. "Now we catch the morning bus, see the doctor, and return by evening." "What we're seeing here is not just transportation, but transformation," said Bijapur collector Sambit Mishra. "When people are able to move, they are able to access rights, services, and opportunities. That's empowerment," the collector added. He said, Bijapur Express is quietly challenging the dominant narrative about this region. Once described solely in terms of conflict and backwardness, Bijapur is scripting a new identity rooted in resilience and progress. And the change isn't just practical — it's deeply emotional. Children from remote hamlets now reach their schools more easily. Women attend markets, community meetings, and health camps with greater confidence. Even govt services, once considered distant and difficult to reach, feel closer and more accessible. It's easy to overlook a bus. They are everywhere, anonymous and unremarkable. But in Bijapur, the Bijapur Express is more than just a ride. WHEELS OF TRANSFORMATION Benefited Niyad Nellanar village Operated from where to where (to and from) Average daily pessengers Bechapal,Timmenar,Etepal,Hurrrepal Bechapal To Bijapur 200 Marudbaka,Pujarikanker,Nambi,Gunjeparti,Galgam,Nadpalli,Puttapalli,Kasturpadh Pujarikanker to Bijapur 180 Peddakodepal, Chipurbhatti, Pokela, Murkipada, Putkel, Chilkapalli and Puskonta,Tarrem,Outpalli,Korsaguda,Biraguda, Chinnagellur Silger To Bijapur 220 - Bedre To Bijapur 200 - Bijapur- Bhairamgarh -Benglur 220 Hiroli, Kawadgaon,Mutvendi,Cherpal, Burji,Padeda, Mutvendi – Bijapur- Pujarikanker 200 Raipur: In the heart of Bastar, a region once synonymous with insurgency and isolation, a quiet revolution is rolling on four wheels. Bijapur district, tucked between the borders of Maharashtra and Telangana, the region has often seemed beyond the reach of modern India — physically, economically, and socially. But that story is beginning to change. And its unlikely hero is a humble community-run bus, 'The Bijapur Express', born under state's Niyad Nellanar scheme. It is not just ferrying people, it's also carrying a sense of belonging. The bus service connects the district headquarters to block-level offices and as many as 33 far-flung villages, threading together the fragments of an otherwise disjointed landscape. Around 1,020 passengers use the service daily. They are not just numbers, but students clutching notebooks, mothers with toddlers, farmers with sacks of produce, and elders with hope in their eyes. For generations, access to basic services in interior villages of Bijapur district meant arduous treks through forested paths and uncertain waits for the occasional transport vehicle. Reaching a hospital, a school, a market or even simply the district headquarters was a logistical challenge, compounded by fear and remoteness, with a lot of time consumption. "I remember walking for hours just to get my child to the nearest health center," says Savita, a mother from a village that now lies on the Bijapur Express route. "Now we catch the morning bus, see the doctor, and return by evening." "What we're seeing here is not just transportation, but transformation," said Bijapur collector Sambit Mishra. "When people are able to move, they are able to access rights, services, and opportunities. That's empowerment," the collector added. He said, Bijapur Express is quietly challenging the dominant narrative about this region. Once described solely in terms of conflict and backwardness, Bijapur is scripting a new identity rooted in resilience and progress. And the change isn't just practical — it's deeply emotional. Children from remote hamlets now reach their schools more easily. Women attend markets, community meetings, and health camps with greater confidence. Even govt services, once considered distant and difficult to reach, feel closer and more accessible. It's easy to overlook a bus. They are everywhere, anonymous and unremarkable. But in Bijapur, the Bijapur Express is more than just a ride. WHEELS OF TRANSFORMATION Benefited Niyad Nellanar village Operated from where to where (to and from) Average daily pessengers Bechapal,Timmenar,Etepal,Hurrrepal Bechapal To Bijapur 200 Marudbaka,Pujarikanker,Nambi,Gunjeparti,Galgam,Nadpalli,Puttapalli,Kasturpadh Pujarikanker to Bijapur 180 Peddakodepal, Chipurbhatti, Pokela, Murkipada, Putkel, Chilkapalli and Puskonta,Tarrem,Outpalli,Korsaguda,Biraguda, Chinnagellur Silger To Bijapur 220 - Bedre To Bijapur 200 - Bijapur- Bhairamgarh -Benglur 220 Hiroli, Kawadgaon,Mutvendi,Cherpal, Burji,Padeda, Mutvendi – Bijapur- Pujarikanker 200