Odisha: 22 Maoists carrying total bounty of over Rs 2 cr surrender in Malkangiri

Bhubaneswar/Malkangiri (Odisha), Dec 23 (PTI) Twenty-two Maoists carrying a combined bounty of Rs 2.18 crore surrendered before the police in Odisha's Malkangiri district on Tuesday, an officer said.

The surrendered Maoists handed over nine firearms and 150 cartridges, 20 kg of explosives, 13 IEDs, gelatin sticks, and other articles in the presence of Odisha DGP Y B Khurania and other senior officers here.

All the 22 surrendered Maoists hailed from neighbouring Chhattisgarh but used to operate in Odisha, the officer said, adding that among them were 10 women, including a divisional committee member (DCM) and six area committee members (ACMs).

Of them, 19 cadres belonged to the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), while two were from the Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) and one from the Gadchiroli Area Committee. All of them were booked for Naxal activities in both Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

The surrendered Maoists also include DCM Linge, also known as Myre Madkam (45) of Sukma district, and ACMs Baman Madkam (27) and Sukka Muchaki and Rita Podiam.

According to provisions of the state government's new surrender and rehabilitation policy, the 22 cadres will receive Rs 1.84 crore in assistance, along with Rs 25,000 immediate relief per person, housing under Antyodaya Yojana, marriage assistance, health insurance, ration cards, and other benefits, an official statement said.

DGP Khurania welcomed their decision and assured them that they would get all the benefits under the state government's policy. He called upon others to come forward and avail of the benefits and return to the mainstream.

"It is a major setback to the CPI(Maoist) outfit, weakening its leadership, morale, and operational strength," Khurania said, attributing the mass surrender to multiple factors, including Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi's appeals, enhanced surrender and rehabilitation policy, sustained anti-Maoist operations, disillusionment with extremist ideology, and leadership vacuum within Maoist ranks.

The Odisha government, on November 27, revised the Maoist surrender reward amount. It was 10 per cent higher than that offered in neighbouring Chhattisgarh for surrendered Maoists. PTI COR AAM RG AAM ACD