Sixteen Maoists, including six with a collective bounty of ₹25 lakh on their heads, surrendered to authorities in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Monday. The group included nine individuals from Kerlapenda village panchayat under the Chintalanar police station, marking the village's transition to being Maoist-free.

As a result, Kerlapenda is now eligible for a ₹1 crore development grant under the state's Elvad Panchayat Yojna, part of a new government initiative to reward villages that facilitate the surrender of Maoists and declare themselves free of insurgent activity.

Among the surrendered cadres was Rita alias Dodi Sukki, a 36-year-old woman who served as a member of the Maoists' central regional committee company number 2, and Rahul Punem, an 18-year-old party member of the PLGA battalion no. 1. Both carried a reward of ₹8 lakh each. Additionally, Lekam Lakhma had a bounty of ₹3 lakh, while three others carried rewards of ₹2 lakh each.

The surrenders were attributed to growing disillusionment with the Maoist ideology and reported atrocities committed by the ultras against local tribal populations. The cadres also cited the influence of the Chhattisgarh government's 'Niyad Nellanar' (your good village) scheme, which focuses on development in remote areas, and the state's new surrender and rehabilitation policy as key factors in their decision to lay down arms.

The new Chhattisgarh Naxal Surrender/Victim Relief and Rehabilitation Policy-2025 incentivises communities to support the surrender of Maoists by sanctioning ₹1 crore for development projects to any village panchayat that passes a resolution declaring itself Maoist-free.

The surrender event was overseen by senior police and Central Reserve Police Force officials, who emphasised the significance of the move in restoring peace and enabling progress in the affected region.

Agencies