IN A significant boost to Chhattisgarh’s anti-Naxal Operation, as many as 52 Maoist cadres affiliated with the South Sub Zonal Bureau surrendered before the police in Bijapur district on Thursday, renouncing violence and rejoining the mainstream under the State Government’s rehabilitation policy ‘Poona Margem: From Rehabilitation to Renewal’. According to the police, a total reward of Rs 1.41 crore had been announced on the surrendered cadres based on their ranks and organisational roles. The group comprises 21 women and 31 men, drawn from the DKSZC, AOB Division and Bhairamgarh Area Committee.

 

The police sources said that the surrendered cadres included one DVCM, two Company No- 7 members, three PPCMs, 10 ACMs, eight division/ bureau party members, nine platoon or area committee members, three militia platoon commanders, one deputy commander, three militia members, one PLGA member and 11 RPC-level CNM/DAKMS/Janatana government functionaries. The surrender adds to the district’s recent gains in Anti-Naxal operations.

 

Since January 1, 2024, a total of 824 Maoists have surrendered in Bijapur, 1,126 have been arrested and 223 have been killed in separate encounters, police said. The development follows sustained operations carried out under the guidance of senior police and CRPF leadership, with joint efforts by the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters, Special Task Force (STF), CoBRA units and CRPF battalions, officials said. The cadres were also influenced by the State’s outreach initiatives, including the Niyad Nella Nar scheme.

 

As part of the rehabilitation process, each surrendered cadre was given Rs 50,000 as immediate financial assistance, while legal formalities for their rehabilitation and reintegration are under way. Appealing to other Maoists to follow suit, Bijapur Superintendent of Police Dr Jitendra Kumar Yadav said the Poona Margem policy offered a secure, dignified and self-reliant future to those willing to abandon violence and place faith in the Constitution and the democratic system.