Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has revised its surrender and rehabilitation policy for left-wing extremists to make it more specific and remove ambiguities, a senior official said Wednesday.
A notification by the home department February 9 said the policy applies only to Maoists and their frontal outfits or those who are known/identified cadres of banned organisations surrendering with or without firearms.
“The policy is applicable only to those Maoists/Left Wing Extremists/Naxals/militants of banned CPI (Maoist) and its banned frontal organisations or those who are known/identified cadres of the banned organisations surrendering with or without firearms,” the statement said.
It clarified that persons involved in activities of the banned organisations in Odisha, irrespective of whether they are natives of the state, will be eligible under the scheme.
Natives of Odisha engaged in Naxal activities outside the state will also be considered eligible, subject to certification by the SP concerned and submission of a no-objection certificate from the respective state to ensure they have not availed rehabilitation benefits elsewhere, the revised policy stated.
Since November 27, 2025, as many as 45 Maoists have surrendered following the announcement of a revised rehabilitation package offering graded financial incentives based on rank.
Under the policy, a central committee member or politburo member is entitled to Rs 1.1 crore, a state committee or special zonal committee member Rs 55 lakh, a regional committee member Rs 33 lakh, and a divisional committee secretary or military platoon commander Rs 27.5 lakh.
Other cadres are entitled to rewards ranging from Rs 22 lakh to Rs 1.65 lakh, depending on rank and role.
Additional incentives are provided for surrendering firearms, with fixed amounts for different categories of weapons.
Rs 4.95 lakh is given for a light machine gun, Rs 3.30 lakh for an AK-47 rifle and Rs 1.65 lakh for an INSAS or SLR rifle, besides different prices fixed for arms and ammunition.
A senior official said Rs 6.5 crore has so far been disbursed to surrendered Maoists, including Rs 4.5 crore as rewards on their heads and Rs 2 crore for surrendered arms.
Of the 45 surrenders, 23 were reported from Malkangiri district, 15 from Rayagada, four from Kandhamal, two from Rourkela and one from Koraput, he said.
The official added that five districts — Nuapada, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Koraput and Boudh — have been declared ‘Naxal-free’ since January 19, following the surrender of cadres.
