At least 52 Maoists of whom 49 were given a cumulative reward of more than 1.41 crore were arrested by the security forces in Bijapur district of Chattisgarh on Thursday, police said. It was under the state initiative of Poona Margem that aims at integrating former insurgents and rehabilitating them that the surrender occurred in the presence of senior police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officers.
The surrendered cadres, according to the police, were active in major Maoist formations, such as the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), as well as in the Andhra -Odisha Border division and the Bhamragarh area committee which took its operations in some parts of Maharashtra. According to the Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav, the individuals were incited by the surrender and rehabilitation policy of the state government that provides them with financial assistance and lifelong assistance to reintegrate in the society.
Some of the survivors who turned in arms included a divisional committee member, Lakkhu Karam or Anil (32) and Platoon Party Committee members, Laxmi Madvi (28) and Chinni Sodhi or Shanti (28) with a reward of ₹8 lakh each. Bounties were placed on the heads of thirteen other cadres at 5 lakh, 19 at 2 lakh and 14 at 1 lakh each.
All those who give up their Maoists will be given an immediate financially viable aid of 50,000 and rehabilitation benefits according to government standards officials said.
The recent surrender is a continuation of a day before when 29 Maoists surrendered in an adjacent district known as Sukma. Earlier this month, 63 Maoists on January 8 surrendered in Dantewada and on January 7, 26 cadars surrendered in Sukma.
More than 1,500 Maoists so far have given up in Chhattisgarh, said police officials. The Centre has again projected its aim of removing Left Wing Extremism off the country by March 31 this year.
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