Mining activity in once Naxal dominated area Surjagarh

Surjagarh

From holding guns while hiding in the dense forests of Etapalli to holding a demat account, Ramji Munshi Mattami’s journey captures a quiet but striking transformation. Once drawn into the Maoist fold as a teenager, he is today rebuilding his life as a skilled worker and a breadwinner for his family.

Cut off from his family at just 17, Mattami says he could never have imagined a future where he would learn welding and earn a steady livelihood. His story is part of a larger shift underway in Gadchiroli — a district long known as a stronghold of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) due to its dense forests, poor connectivity, and marginalised tribal communities.

His entry into insurgency, however, was almost impulsive. “When a group of people came to our village for recruitment, I was impressed by their bravery, attire and the guns they were carrying. Since our family was facing a lot of hardship, I thought of making money by joining them,” he said. Even recruiters initially resisted taking him in because of his age, but Mattami insisted — jumping into their vehicle without knowing what lay ahead.

Mattami is among more than 80 surrendered Naxals, including 31 women, now employed by Lloyds Metals and Energy, which has emerged as an agent of change in the region. The company has not only provided jobs — from welding to truck driving — but has also extended equity ownership to workers who complete six months, issuing shares at face value without a lock-in.

Another surrendered Naxal, Kolu Majji Bhatpar, has no idea of the shares credited in his demat account but he knows that he has become part-owner of the company.

Bhatpar, who hails from a small Bhamragarh village, decided to surrender after hearing of the struggles of his family members.

“My children faced difficulty in going to school and had faced criticism in public. I walked to the police all alone and surrendered,” he said.

Urmila Budhram from Gadchiroli has three children studying in an English-medium school and feels happy to see her children daily. Her husband also works in Lloyds.

“A few years back no one dared to walk on the roads in this region, but things have changed a lot with the company now working in three shifts through the night,” she added.

B Prabhakaran, Managing Director, Lloyds Metals and Energy, said the company was clear that the transformation of Gadchiroli would be possible only if people were provided with decent jobs, education and medical facilities.

“Getting talent for school and hospital was a big challenge initially, but today people are applying for jobs from big cities. Once the township project for 5,000 people is completed with a cinema theatre, the face of Surjagarh will change forever,” he said.

The company has already invested ₹6,000 crore in Gadchiroli and has committed another ₹25,000 crore in ongoing projects.

The multi-speciality Lloyds Kali Ammal Memorial Hospital is the only hope for the underserved community. The hospital is well-equipped with CT, MRI, digital X-ray, sonography, ECG, spirometry and audiometry, besides five modular operation theatres, with separate ICUs for neonatal babies, paediatrics and adults.

Dr Gopal Roy, Senior Medical Superintendent, LKAMH, said the hospital will soon have a helicopter ambulance.

“The only thing the hospital does not have is a billing counter because everything, including medicines, is provided free,” he said.

(This correspondent was in Surjagarh on Lloyds Metals and Energy’s invitation)

Published on April 21, 2026