25-fold hike in perks for surrendered Maoists

The Ministry of Home Affairs has revised the surrender policy for Maoists and enhanced the cash incentive by 25 times.

The new compensation package, approved by the finance ministry under security-related expenditure, will come into effect from April 1.

Under the new scheme, senior leaders like politburo members and area commanders will get Rs 2.5 lakh for giving up arms, while members in the lower rung will get Rs 1.5 lakh. The banned outfit has its presence in 106 districts of nine states including Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Maharastra and Madhya Pradesh.

Earlier, the MHA used to reimburse only Rs 20,000 to states for Maoists who surrendered with arms and Rs 10,000 otherwise. It was learnt that Home Secretary R K Singh informed about the new initiative, aimed at encouraging the Maoists to join the mainstream, to representatives of nine states at a meeting held in the North Block on Monday afternoon.

The revised policy also offers a monthly stipend of Rs 3,000 for three years. This incentive will be available only once. Surrendered ultras who rejoin the outfit and quit thereafter, cannot avail the package, a ministry official explained.

A state-level committee, comprising the Inspector-General of Police and representatives of their home ministry, will be the nodal body that will decide on the rehabilitation amount. The committee will verify details from other states to prevent one Maoist from availing the incentive more than once by surrendering in multiple states.

Approximately, about 300 cadres surrender annually, ministry officials said. The Home Ministry was contemplating revising the surrender and rehabilitation policy since last year when CRPF personnel gunned down 19 villagers in an anti-Maoist operation in Chattisgarh. Even an Union minister had admitted that 17 of the 19 dead were innocent tribals.

At the meeting attended by DGPs and chief secretaries of the nine states, the MHA also advised the stakeholders to increase government presence in the areas dominated by the ultras, especially in the Dandakaranya area between Chattisgarh and Maharastra, Saranda and Koyelsankh in Jharkhand, Jammui and Banka in Bihar and districts of Odisha.