Officials said the surrendered cadres will receive Rs 50,000 each under the rehabilitation policy, along with additional support from the Chhattisgarh Government, including skills training and agricultural land
A sizeable haul of weapons, ammunition and explosives was recovered. Representational Pic/File/iStock
In one of the largest Maoist surrenders recorded in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada under the Lon Varratu and Poona Margem (Revival through Rehabilitation) programme, 37 Maoists — including 27 carrying rewards totalling Rs 65 lakh — have chosen to renounce violence and return to the social mainstream, officials said on Sunday, reported the IANS.
All 37 cadres stated that their decision to abandon violence was driven by complete faith in the Chhattisgarh Government’s Poona Margem rehabilitation policy.
The initiative, run under the direct guidance of senior officers of the Chhattisgarh Police and the CRPF, has gained significant acceptance among cadres who are weary of life in the forests.
Officials said that the Centre and the state government — along with the Dantewada Police, local administration and the Central Reserve Police Force — remain fully committed to restoring peace, ensuring rehabilitation and promoting inclusive development in the region.
Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj Pattilingam, said that the Poona Margem and Lon Varratu initiatives are emerging as “transformative initiatives towards lasting peace, dignity and overall progress” in Bastar.
The 37 Maoists, including those with rewards on their heads, formally surrendered in the presence of Deputy Inspector General Dantewada Range Kamalochan Kashyap, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Territory) CRPF Dantewada Range Rakesh Chaudhary, Superintendent of Police Dantewada Gaurav Rai, Commandant 111th Battalion CRPF Gopal Yadav, Commandant 230th Battalion CRPF Anil Kumar Prasad, Commandant 80th Battalion CRPF Jitendra Kumar, Additional Superintendent of Police Dantewada Ramkumar Barman, and Deputy Commandant Vimal (Intelligence Branch) at the DRG office in Dantewada, as per the IANS.
Officials said the surrendered cadres will receive Rs 50,000 each under the rehabilitation policy, along with additional support from the Chhattisgarh Government, including skills training and agricultural land.
Among those who surrendered were twelve women, and a sizeable haul of weapons, ammunition and explosives was recovered — marking a major setback for the Maoist organisation in the Bastar region.
Police added that many of the cadres had been hiding in the forests for several years, with rewards of up to Rs 5 lakh announced on some of them. Several had served as bodyguards or squad members for senior Maoist leaders, according to the IANS.
Speaking to reporters, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai said, “Our persistent efforts and the support of the local people have paid off. The Maoists who are surrendering tell us that life in the forests has become difficult. The police are reaching everywhere, and even the villagers are no longer supporting them,” the news agency reported.
Officials noted that more than 508 Maoists — including 165 with bounties — have surrendered and returned to the mainstream in Dantewada district over the last 20 months, inspired by the government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy. A substantial number of Maoists, from senior leaders to active cadres in core areas, have left the organisation.
The officials described Sunday’s development as another decisive step towards achieving a violence-free Bastar.
(with IANS inputs)
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