Mentioned in PM Modi’s ‘Mann ki Baat’, the remote Maharashtra village is keeping netizens inspired

In a Naxalite-affected village in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district, a passenger bus rolled for the first time since Independence. This historic initiative was mentioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ episode aired on May 25. Another village from the same district is the talk of the town ever since, at least among netizens.   

What PM Modi said about Gadchiroli in Mann Ki Baat 

“Friends, travelling by bus is such a common thing. But I want to tell you about a village where a bus reached for the first time. The people there had been waiting for this day for years. And when the bus arrived in the village for the first time, people welcomed it by playing drums. People were extremely happy to see the bus,” said PM Modi while addressing the people in his monthly address to the nation under the ‘Mann ki Baat’ radio programme.

“There was a paved road in the village; people needed it, but a bus had never been able to run here before. Why? Because this village was affected by Maoist violence. This place is in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, and the name of this village is Katejhari. This change in Katejhari is being felt in the entire surrounding area. Now, the situation here is rapidly becoming normal. Due to the collective fight against Maoism, basic facilities have started reaching even such areas. The villagers say that with the arrival of the bus, their lives will become much easier,” PM Modi added.

Better access to healthcare, education and other economic opportunities

With the historic moment for Katejhari, the infrastructure will start improving in the village, and this will also provide better access to economic opportunities, healthcare, education, and overall development in the area.

Characterised by its dense forests, rugged terrain, and tribal culture, Gadchiroli stands some 920 kilometres from Mumbai. Its nearest big city, Nagpur, stands about 180 kilometres away. 

Arjun Ranga, CEO of N Ranga Rao & Sons and Cycle Pure Agarbathi 

To Arjun Ranga, CEO of N Ranga Rao & Sons and Cycle Pure Agarbathi, the arrival of a regular bus service is more than an infrastructural milestone. “Gadchiroli is no ordinary place,” wrote Ranga in a blog post on professional networking portal LinkedIn. 

His Cycle Pure Agarbathi is associated with the district since 2014, when it began a partnership with the Gadchiroli Agarbatti Project (GAP), a livelihood initiative supported by the Maharashtra government. This partnership has enabled hundreds of rural women to earn a living, even during the depths of the pandemic.  

“It has grown into a self-sustaining ecosystem that engages over 1,200 women today, and has touched the lives of nearly 1,00,000 tribal women across agarbathi production, cotton wick making and bamboo processing for Cycle Pure Agarbathi,” wrote Ranga. 

‘It’s A Special Place’ | Take a look at the CEO’s LinkedIn post

Cycle has procured over 5,500 tonnes of raw incense sticks and 8,00,000 dozen cotton wicks, supporting tribal communities in processing non-timber forest produce. 

This initiative has matured into a strong rural network producing world-class prayer products that are used in over 75 countries. 

According to Ranga, the women of Gadchiroli are “learning and leading”.

From understanding quality control and managing stock to repairing machines and handling accounts, they have taken ownership of their growth, wrote Ranga, adding that the average household income in the region has increased more than three times. 

Production during COVID-19 

Even during the peak of the COVID-19 crisis, when most of the world was locked down, the women of Gadchiroli showed up and produced 150 tonnes of incense in just 60 days and earned Rs 30 lakh in wages.