Overview
- Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Monday inaugurated the Pandum Café at the Poona Margham Complex in Jagdalpur’s Police Lines, set up by the police and district administration.
- The café employs surrendered Maoist cadres alongside survivors of Naxal violence as part of Chhattisgarh’s Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy.
- Staff members were trained in hospitality, café operations, customer service, hygiene, food safety and entrepreneurship before opening.
- Authorities say the site is meant to showcase social transformation and reconciliation, with the model expected to be replicated to encourage further surrenders.
- Organisers note that “Pandum” means festival in the local Gondi dialect, and the café’s tagline, “Where every cup tells a story,” reflects the staff’s personal journeys.