Odisha Maoist Surrenders: 22 Rebels, Senior Commander Yield to Police

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In a significant development, 22 Maoists, including a divisional committee member, surrendered to Odisha Police at an event in Malkangiri on Tuesday. The high-profile surrender was witnessed by Director General of Police YB Khurania. Among the surrendered cadres, six are area committee members and 15 are party members. They handed over a cache of arms, including AK-47 rifles, INSAS rifles, and explosives, to the authorities. The surrendered Maoists belong to various committees, including the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), the Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC), and the Gadchiroli Area Committee. The senior-most among them is Linge alias Muye Madkam, a 45-year-old divisional committee member and commander of Platoon-31. Other notable surrenderees include Baman Madkam and Sukka Muchaki, who have been commanders in various areas. Most of the surrendered cadres hail from villages in Chhattisgarh's Sukma, Dantewada, and Bijapur districts. The state government's new surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy has been revised, offering higher financial assistance to Maoists who surrender with arms. Under the revised policy, category A surrendered Maoists can receive up to ₹5 lakh, while category B Maoists can get up to ₹2.5 lakh. Additional rewards of ₹10 lakh are also available for surrendered Maoists with outstanding rewards. The state government has also increased the financial assistance for surrendered arms, with a maximum reward of ₹4.95 lakh for light machine guns and ₹82,500 for 303 rifles. The surrendered Maoists will now be rehabilitated under the state government's new policy, which aims to provide them with a fresh start and reintegration into society.