In Lanka, a remote village nestled along the Indravati river in Narayanpur's Orchha block, governance arrived not as a file or office, but as a camp. For the first time since independence, officials from the district administration reached this once upon a time fiercely Maoist-affected and difficult-to-access village, nearly 130km from Narayanpur headquarters, to hold a two-day special administrative camp and deliver basic documents and welfare services at people's doorstep.
The biggest draw was the wi-fi-enabled ‘Sushasan Express', a mobile governance unit that helped prepare 27 types of documents on the spot — including Aadhaar, ration, caste and residence certificates — saving villagers from repeated, costly trips to the district headquarters.
The camp, held under the Niyad Nellanar scheme, drew residents from Lanka and five nearby villages. Officials said 310 applications were received, of which 242 were resolved immediately. These included 179 applications under PM-Kisan, 34 for MGNREGA job cards, 25 for ration cards and 18 related to health services.
For villages in Abujhmarh, where distance is counted not just in kilometres but in rivers, forests and fear, the camp marked a significant shift. Many residents who earlier had to depend on middlemen or postpone paperwork for months could get basic services processed in a day. Officials said similar camps are being organised to ensure that villages that remained cut off for decades are not left behind in basic welfare delivery. So far, 17,520 applications have been disposed of through such camps in the district, the administration said.
The next camp will be held on April 29-30 at Adnar, covering residents of Malmeta, Konje and Bodum, as the outreach continues deeper into Abujhmarh.
