Gadchiroli Police have launched an innovative experiment Udaan, for the overall progress of the people. The activities taken up under this project are as under.
Education- Given the absence of guidance for competitive exams in remote areas and the financial constraints, preventing students from traveling to urban areas for exam preparation, the ‘One Village One Library’ project was initiated. To date, 62 libraries have been established in remote areas of the Gadchiroli district. All of these libraries are equipped with Wi-Fi, e-learning facilities, and host guest lectures. Over 6,500 students are enrolled in the library, which boasts a collection of over 50,000 books. Additionally, a test series is organized for students visiting the library on the second Sunday of every month.
This initiative is benefiting students preparing for competitive exams. In addition, general knowledge tests are organized as part of the project’s efforts for students attending 103 ashram schools, spanning from class V to XII. Each day, a set of ten questions is sent to every ashram school via Whatss App groups. During the paripatha, teachers relay these questions to the students. Based on these questions, a biannual exam is conducted. Over 23,000 students have participated in this initiative.
Summer and winter camps are organized to promote the all-round development of students. To date, five such camps have been held, with 400 students participating.
The Gadchiroli Police conducted an innovative experiment: a Student Police Cadet residential camp aimed at fostering better relationships between police and students. This marked the first such initiative in Maharashtra, involving 300 students. The camp focused on instilling social consciousness, a sense of duty, and personality development among the students.
The Yashwantrao Chavan Open University Center has been established in five locations: Tadgaon, Hedari, Garapatti, Pendhari, and Damrancha, ensuring that students from remote areas have access to degree education. Over 300 students are currently enrolled in degree programs through these centers. The police department covers all academic fees, examination fees, and book expenses for these students. These centers have played a crucial role in ensuring that economic conditions do not deprive students from remote areas of education. More than 500 bicycles have been distributed to school students in remote areas.
Skill –Under Project Udan, youth from remote areas are trained in Nursing, Hospitality, Hotel Management, and Security Guard skills through various skill development institutes such as Parkson Skilling Institute, Pratham, Mehmudiah, and AIIMS Security Hyderabad. This initiative aims to facilitate employment opportunities and encourage entrepreneurship. Employment opportunities are provided, and self-employment training is offered through Agricultural Science Centre, Atma, and RCET.
Project Udan offers training in various fields such as fast-food preparation, beauty parlour services, tailoring, vegetable cultivation, poultry farming, boar rearing, goat rearing, two-wheeler mechanics, four-wheeler mechanics, and TV operation, among others. Notably, the Gadchiroli Police has established its own Skilling Institute to provide training to the youth in this remote area. The Skilling Institute under the Gadchiroli Police has received approval from the Maharashtra State Employment Training Corporation. It offers advanced courses such as Software Developer, Media Developer, and Web Designer.
Additionally, it conducts training for security guards, police pre-recruitment, and vehicle drivers. To date, it has provided employment opportunities to 10,560 youth and women. As a result of pre-recruitment training conducted by the police department, 119 youths have been selected in various police forces of the state, while 01 youth has been selected in the army as a Agniveer. Sewing machine training centers have been established in remote areas like Nargunda. Additionally, a Hotel Management Course has been introduced at Hedari and Yemli burgi Police Stations. Furthermore, a Two-Wheeler and Four Wheeler Mechanic course has been initiated at the Armori Police Station.
Health– As part of Project Udan, efforts are being made to address the healthcare needs of citizens in remote areas. Drug treatment is provided to those in need at every police station and sub-divisional level. Under Operation Roshni, over 6000 citizens have received eye examinations, and 1200 citizens have undergone cataract surgery with the assistance of Civil Hospital Gadchiroli, Meghe Savangi Hospital, and various NGOs.
Additionally, UDID cards of 1600 disabled citizens have been processed, providing them with benefits under the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana. Prosthetic wheelchairs were distributed to those in need, along with ST bus concession cards. Furthermore, a blood donation camp was organized, resulting in 1071 individuals donating blood in a single day. This marks the first instance in Gadchiroli where such a large number of people have donated blood at one camp.
Krushi Samrudhhi– Under Project Udan, several initiatives have been undertaken to enhance the prosperity of farmers in the region. Traditionally reliant on paddy farming, farmers have organized agricultural tours to explore modern techniques. To date, 12 such tours have been conducted across different parts of the state. Male and female farmers participating in these tours have visited agricultural colleges, universities, and science centres to learn and adopt new practices. As a result, farmers in the Gadchiroli district are now engaging in new agricultural experiments. A total of 152 women self-help groups have been equipped with modern agricultural machinery, including thresher machines, rice harvesters, zero-tiller drill machines, power weeders, spray pumps, and Mohful collection sets.
Additionally, plant nurseries for various crops such as shevga, papaya, banana, custard apple, and cashew have been established at the police station level and distributed to the citizens. Farmers in the area have benefitted from various schemes by applying online through the MahaDBT portal. Over 50 farmers have received wells under the Birsa Munda Krishi Kranti Yojana. The Gadchiroli police force has played a crucial role in assisting farmers with filling out crop insurance forms and facilitating the distribution of seeds and fertilizers through MahaDBT. As a result, the Gadchiroli Police has earned the maximum trust of the people today.
The Gadchiroli Police has undertaken various activities under Project Udan to nurture the sporting abilities of the youth in the area. District-level competitions in Kabaddi, Volleyball, and Rela are organized as part of the Gadchiroli festival. These competitions begin at the police station level and progress to the sub-divisional level. Additionally, in 2023 and 2024 the Gadchiroli Police organized the Maha Marathon. Over 13,000 young men and women participated in the marathon. The Gadchiroli Police conducted selection tests and trained 30 youths for three months to compete in the Tata Marathon in Mumbai. Three boys achieved positions in the top 100, while one girl secured a position in the top 50 in the respective categories.
Under Project Utthan, an e-market has been established for handicrafts from the Gadchiroli district. Additionally, a handicraft exhibition is organized during the Gadchiroli festival, providing over 90 stalls free of charge to artisans. In the year 2023, sales amounted to 25 lakhs, and in the year 2024, they exceeded 32 lakhs during the festival. The Gadchiroli Police has facilitated the availability of these items on the e-market platform to maintain a steady demand for the artisans’ products. All items are also accessible on the website “indocrafti.com”.
