Gadchiroli Police’s ‘One Village, One Library’ boosting spirit of education over naxalism

Gadchiroli (Maharashtra), 12 July (ANI): Gadchiroli Police launched a transformative initiative called 'One Village, One Library' to counter Naxal influence not through force, but through education. SP Neelotpal says, "Two years ago, we started with just one library under the 'One Village One Library' initiative. Today, 71 libraries are functioning across the district, and over 8,000 youth are actively using them. In remote areas like Nalgunda, we connected the library to our police post's Wi-Fi to ensure internet access. Today, over 8,000 youth are studying across these 71 libraries. In the last two and a half years, 205 of these young individuals have been selected for the police force, and many others have secured jobs in the revenue department... These libraries provide Wi-Fi, books, and access to online coaching, giving these students a platform to grow... Before 2020, or even earlier, Maoist groups would mislead the youth, and they lacked proper engagement. To positively engage and provide opportunities to the youth of Gadchiroli, we started this initiative..."