Bhubaneswar: A total of 582 CPI (Maoist) cadres have surrendered in Odisha from 2006 up to January 2025, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi told the state Assembly Monday.
While replying to a question by Congress MLA Mangu Khilla, the chief minister said out of 582 militias, 364 eligible surrendered persons have been provided the surrender benefits. A total of Rs 9.62 crore has been spent in this regard, he said.
The state government has been implementing a “Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy” in the state since the year 2006 to bring back cadres, who have joined the CPI (Maoist) outfit and are involved in armed conflict with the state and the administration.
Different benefits have been extended to the surrendered Maoist cadres as per the eligibility criteria of the policy, Majhi said.
Under the policy, the state government has been providing financial assistance up to Rs 2.50 lakh, assistance of Rs 25,000 for homestead land, and house-building assistance of Rs 45,000, he said.
In case the surrendered CPI (Maoist) cadre is interested in pursuing study, the government provides educational assistance of Rs 3,000 to him/her, he added.
As per the provision, the state also provides vocational training to the surrendered CPI (Maoist) cadre at the rate of Rs 6,000 per month for a maximum period of 36 months.
If the surrendered CPI (Maoist) cadre opts for marriage and there is no surviving spouse, an incentive of Rs 25,000 is being provided for his/her marriage, he pointed out.
The CM further said the Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy is one of the important components of the composite anti-Maoist action plan for which the Maoist menace has been remarkably contained in the state and the unprecedented turnaround in the situation in Swabhiman Anchal (earlier known as hotbed for Maoists) in Malkangiri district and Narayanpatna-Bandhugaon axis of Koraput district can be taken as success story in this regard.
PTI
