Shivraj’s Cabinet Gives Green Light to MP’s Maoist Surrender, Rehabilitation, and Relief Policy

Bhopal: In a significant move towards establishing peace and providing opportunities for rehabilitation, the Madhya Pradesh cabinet greenlit the Maoist Surrender, Rehabilitation-cum-Relief Policy, 2023. This decision came in a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Medical education minister Vishwas Sarang, while addressing the media, highlighted the policy’s primary aim: reintegrating Maoists who voluntarily renounce violence into the societal mainstream. “This policy has been framed with the dual objective of facilitating the transition of surrendered Maoists back into the community and offering them viable employment and entrepreneurial avenues,” he stated.

Under this newly adopted policy, surrendered Maoists will receive:

– ₹1.50 lakh for housing construction.

– An ex-gratia ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹4.50 lakh for turning in weapons.

– An incentive of ₹50,000 towards wedding expenses.

– Either ₹5 lakh or the previously announced reward amount (whichever is higher) for purchasing immovable assets.

– ₹1.50 lakh designated for vocational training endeavors.

Additionally, beneficiaries will access the Ayushman Bharat Yojana and the central government’s food aid program. Elaborating on compensation for violence-related incidents, Sarang informed that families of civilians who succumb to Maoist-driven violence will receive ₹15 lakh. If a security personnel dies, their family gets ₹20 lakh. Furthermore, a compensation of ₹4 lakh is set aside for individuals sustaining physical disabilities. Notably, families of citizens killed in Maoist conflicts are promised employment in Class III/IV roles within the state’s administrative machinery.

The cabinet also announced an increment in dearness relief for state government retirees and their dependents. The rate is now set at 42% for the seventh pay scale and a staggering 221% under the sixth. This adjustment translates to an additional fiscal burden of approximately ₹410 crore for the state exchequer.