Bounty on Maoists hiked; many ultras in hospital

Even as the Andhra Pradesh government hiked the bounty for information on the whereabouts of Maoist leaders from Rs 12 lakhs to 25 lakhs, it is learnt that many ultras are sick and are getting treated at undisclosed hospitals across the state.

The state police went for the whopping hike in prize money to root out the lingering threat of Maoists in eight border districts flanked by neighbouring Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Jharkhand  states where the CPI (Maoists) are active.

“The bounty ranges from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 25 lakhs on the heads of various Maoist leaders. Many Maoists are suffering from health-related problems and will surrender if they were given an assurance about their future,” said DGP V Dinesh Reddy who recommended the
doubling of the rewards on each of the top guns for the first time.

According to the latest orders, Maoists who are members of the Central Committee and the Politburo would each get Rs 25 lakhs as one time payment if they surrender with their weapons. Nearly 22 of the 35 members of the Central Committee are suffering from diabetes, kidney failure and other ailments. At least six Central Committee members had died due to Malaria and Dengue in the last two years in Chhattisgarh jungles, police said.

Such incidents, coupled with the age-related ailments, have played havoc among Maoist cadres in Abuj Madh, West and East  Bastar in Chhattisgarh and Midnapur in West Bengal. The Maoists have finally set up a full fledged hospital with three MBBS doctors in Abujmadh to treat the ever rising number of sick cadres besides operating mobile clinics to cater to different cadres operating in various districts. However, the Green Hunt campaign by paramilitary forces had stalled the Maoists’ plan to set up a special hospital in the Chhattisgarh - Jharkhand zone, sources said.