In a major development, 22 members of the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation, including 10 women, laid down their arms before the Odisha Police in Malkangiri district on Tuesday.
All the Left-Wing Extremists (LWE), belonging to the Chhattisgarh cadre, surrendered before the Odisha Police in the presence of Director General of Police (DGP), Odisha, YB Khurania, during a special programme.
The surrendered Maoist cadres carried a combined reward of around Rs 1.48 crore, according to the Malkangiri Police sources.
The cadres also surrendered nine firearms, comprising one AK-47 rifle, two INSAS rifles, one SLR rifle, three .303 rifles, and two single-shot rifles.
The surrendered Maoists include 19 members of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), two cadres of the Andhra–Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC), and one member of the Gadchiroli Area Committee.
In an official statement, the Odisha Police said the surrendered cadres renounced violence, severed all links with extremist activities, and chose to join the mainstream, expressing faith in the democratic process.
Speaking to media persons, DGP Khurania highlighted the 'Revised Surrender and Rehabilitation Scheme', recently announced by the state government.
He said Maoists active in various areas have been urged to abandon violence and join the mainstream.
Khurania added that the government would provide all necessary assistance for the rehabilitation of the surrendering extremists.
"Our Surrender and Rehabilitation Scheme is the best in the country, making all necessary arrangements for the rehabilitation of Maoists. As a successful outcome of this scheme, 22 Maoists, including one Divisional Committee Member, six Area Committee Members, and 15 CPI (Maoist) party members, surrendered in Malkangiri today," Khurania said.
He expressed hope that other extremists still active in the state would also lay down their arms and shun violence.
The Odisha DGP also praised various wings of the Odisha Police and the Central Armed Police Force for their efforts to eliminate Left-Wing Extremism in the state.
He further informed that around 60 to 70 ultras are currently active in Odisha, and added that the state police have made all arrangements to prevent the entry of Maoists from neighbouring states into Odisha.
(With inputs from IANS)
