Kapsi

Chhote Kapsi is the first village in the Kanker parliamentary constituency to be identified for development under the ambitious Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana of the Government of India.[1] The inaugural ceremony was flagged off at a public event on 27 March 2015, by Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Shri Vikram Usendi, in presence of then District Collector Ms. Shammi Abidi and other high ranking officials and public representatives from the district.[2] The primary objective of Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana among other things, is to develop model villages to provide better standards of living and quality of life for inclusive growth of the rural population through:

• Improved basic amenities
• Higher productivity
• Enhanced human development
• Better livelihood opportunities
• Reduced disparities
• Access to rights and entitlements
• Wider social mobilization
• Enriched social capital.[3]

According to the 2011 Census of India, the Kapsi rural agglomeration (Chhote Kapsi and Bade Kapsi) had a population of 4,179.

• Chhote Kapsi village had a population of 3050 as per the Population Census 2011. The village had a sex ratio of 992 females per 1,000 males and 11.54% of the population were under six years of age. Effective literacy rate was 83.91% i.e., higher than Chhattisgarh state average of 70.28%. Male literacy was 88.54% and female literacy was 79.27%[4]

A view from the State Highway 25 at Netaji Chowk, Kapsi

• Bade Kapsi village had a population of 1129 as per the Population Census 2011. The village had a sex ratio of 1034 females per 1,000 males and 14.70% of the population were under six years of age. Effective literacy rate was 58.05% i.e., lower than Chhattisgarh state average of 70.28%. Male literacy was 64.63% and female literacy was 51.64%.[5]

Bade Kapsi

Situated at a distance of approximately 110 km (68 mi) from the District Headquarters Kanker, and 290 km (180 mi) from the State Capital Raipur, Kapsi is served by surface road transportation as the sole mode of commutation. In addition, inexpensive shared local transportation (Mahindra Commander, Tata Ace, etc.) are available throughout the day to the nearby towns of Pakhanjore (10 km (6.2 mi)) and Bhanupratappur (60 km (37 mi)). The nearest commercial airport to this place is Swami Vivekananda Airport, Raipur (290 km (180 mi)) and the nearest major railway station is Durg Junction railway station (250 km (160 mi)).

The economy of Kapsi is chiefly agragarian. Majority of the population here is involved in agricultural activities for a livelihood. Large scale cultivation of paddy and maize are undertaken throughout Rabi as well as Kharif crop seasons. Pisciculture, sericulture, horticulture, etc. too are gradually gaining grounds albeit practised by a few.

Other forms of work for a livelihood includes small scale businesses, government and small private jobs, hired labour and other marginal activities. The Netaji Market along with the adjacent smaller Atal Market under the Chhote Kapsi locality is the center of all commercial activities for the village. A new market in the Bade Kapsi locality also known as Gandhi Market is quickly taking shape to cater to the growing demands of commercial spaces.

Banking services in Kapsi are provided only by two state owned banks, namely:

• Chhattisgarh Rural Bank (छत्तीसगढ़ ग्रामीण बैंक)
• District Central Co-operative Bank Ltd. (जिला सहकारी केन्द्रीय बैंक मर्यादित).

There are a handful of educational institutions (English and Hindi Medium) in Kapsi run by the government as well as private organizations which provide school education. Due to the absence of good colleges in the district, people are entirely dependent on cities such as Bhilai, Durg and Raipur for university level quality education.

The list of schools in Kapsi are as follows:

• Government Primary School (Chhote Kapsi)
• Government Primary School (New Colony)
• Government Primary School (Bade Kapsi)
• Government Middle School (Chhote Kapsi)
• Government Middle School (Bade Kapsi)
• Government Higher Secondary School
• Saraswati Shishu Mandir
• Vivekanada Vidyapeeth
• Shree Tulsi Shishu Mandir
• St. Thomas School
• Dreamland Public School

Health care facilities are minimal with significant portion of the population still relying on home-made remedies and superstitious beliefs as the first response to medical needs. A government run Primary Health Center (PHC) is equipped just enough to provide first aid and basic treatment due to shortage of doctors. Some privately run hospitals have come up in the recent years, thereby reducing some dependency on the bigger cities for better health care facilities. The list of hospitals are as follows:

• Government Primary Health Center, New Colony
• Baba Sai Taj Hospital, Netaji Chowk

Kherkatta Reservoir (Kherkatta Dam/Paralkot Reservoir) is a famous local tourist spot near Kapsi.

Wired landline, WLL (Wireless in Local Loop), cellular telephony and broadband internet services in Kapsi at this time are provided only by the State owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL). A non-functional cellular tower erected by Reliance Communications Ltd. (RCOM) of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group also exists. Both the communication facilities were damaged by the Maoist rebels in an attack in December 2008. The BSNL facilities were reinstated and services restored within a few weeks after the incident whereas the RCOM services remain suspended ever since.[6][7] Few other private cellular operators have shown interest in offering their services time and again, but the efforts are yet to show results.