Chhattisgarh: 22 Naxals surrender in Sukma

Twenty-two Naxals, including nine women, surrendered in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma on Friday in the presence of Superintendent of Police (SP) Kiran Gangaram Chavan.

Following the surrender, speaking to the media, Sukma SP Kiran Gangaram Chavan said that the surrendered Naxalites would receive all benefits under the government’s surrender policy.

“The surrendered Naxalites hail from Maad (Chhattisgarh) and Nuapada (Odisha) divisions. The Naxalites will be given all the benefits provided by the government. “There are Naxalites of different ranks who have surrendered. Some Naxalites have a bounty of Rs 5 lakhs, while others have a bounty of Rs8 lakhs,” Sukma SP said.

Earlier this week, twenty-six Maoists, three of them carrying cash rewards, surrendered before senior police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officials in Dantewada.

The surrender took place at the District Reserve Guard (DRG) headquarters as part of the ongoing ‘Lon Varratu’ (Come Home) campaign, which aims to reintegrate former extremists into mainstream society.

The surrender was facilitated by the joint efforts of the district police, CRPF, and the state’s special rehabilitation policy. As part of the state government’s new rehabilitation policy, each surrendered Maoist will receive Rs 50,000 in immediate assistance and access to a range of benefits, including skill development training and agricultural land.

Earlier, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai credited his government’s efforts to work on rehabilitation policies, which resulted in the surrender of about 1,314 Naxalites. He said that Naxalism was “breathing its last” in the state.

Speaking at the ‘Vichaar for Viksit Chhattisgarh’ conclave to ANI, Chief Minister Sai said that the state government has provided nearly 15,000 accommodations under the PM Awas Yojana for those who have surrendered to join the mainstream. He said that the government was also working on providing “skill development” training to the surrendered Naxalites so that they could become employable.

Chief Minister Sai said his government has employed surrendered Naxalites in third and fourth-class government jobs.

“About 1,314 Naxalites have surrendered, and the government is doing justice to them. We have separately arranged 15,000 Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana for them. We keep them in the district headquarters, and we are also working on their skill development so that they can get some employment. We also give them jobs in third and fourth classes of government organisations as per their qualification,” CM Sai said.