11 Maoists, carrying collective bounty of Rs 63 lakh, surrender in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: As many as 11 Maoists, carrying a collective bounty of Rs 63.25 lakh, surrendered before the state police in Kalahandi district on Sunday, handing over a large cache of arms and ammunition.Among those who laid down arms are divisional committee member, Nakul, and five area committee members. The surrender took place at a special function attended by DGP Y B Khurania, ADG (anti-naxal operations) Sanjeeb Panda, DIG (special intelligence wing) Akhileshvar Singh, IG (operations) Deepak Kumar, DIG (south western range) K V Singh and Kalahandi SP Nagraj Deverakonda, among others. The cadres belonged to the Bansadhara-Ghumusar-Nagavali (BGN) division and were active in Kalahandi, Rayagada and Kandhamal districts. While Nakul hails from Maharashtra, the other 10 are from Chhattisgarh.The Maoists will receive a total compensation of Rs 1.23 crore, comprising the Rs 63.25 lakh bounty and an additional Rs 60 lakh in cash incentives. They surrendered 11 weapons, including an AK-47, an INSAS rifle and four SLRs.DGP Khurania said the surrender reflects the weakening grip of left-wing extremism in the region, crediting sustained operations by the Special Operations Group, district voluntary force, CRPF and BSF for eroding the Maoist base. “All the surrendered cadres would benefit from the state’s surrender and rehabilitation policy, which offers financial aid and vocational training for reintegration,” Khurania added.ADG Panda described the development as a major step towards meeting the Union home minister’s (Amit Shah) target of eradicating naxalism by March 31. With this surrender, the number of armed cadres in Odisha has dropped to around 15, confined largely to border areas of Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Rayagada districts. Since Jan, the police have declared Nuapada, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Koraput, Boudh, Balangir and Bargarh districts as free from naxal influence.Earlier on March 11, police secured the surrender of 10 hardcore cadres, including the state committee member of Kandhamal-Kalahandi-Boudh-Nayagarh division Sanu Pottam in Kandhamal district.