C’garh govt hardens stand on Maoists, mulls deadline to shut rehab benefits

Raipur: In what could be one of the toughest warnings yet to Maoists, Chhattisgarh govt is mulling over discontinuing its surrender policy, including ceasing all rehabilitation benefits for the remaining Maoists if they don't give up arms by the last week of Jan 2026.Then onwards, the state govt plans to shift entirely to a "decisive, force-led" offensive, entering Maoist hideouts and dismantling them. Maoists might lose the chance of availing benefits under the state's Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy-2025, if they do not decide soon, sources in the state home department told TOI. At present, surrendered cadres receive cash incentives, vocational training, support for jobs or self-employment, and assistance for housing. "The message to Maoists who are still undecisive is clear: They might not be able to avail the provisions of the policy if they don't give up arms at the earliest. Maoists have one last chance to access rehabilitation schemes before the window closes. The surrender and rehabilitation offer can't be unlimited," sources said. While Union home minister Amit Shah has set a deadline of Mar 31, 2026, to eliminate Left Wing Extremism from the country, hundreds of Maoists have been killed including their senior leadership cadres, thousands of them have surrendered and arrested across Chhattisgarh in the past two years. As the deadline nears, pressure mounts on both Maoists and security forces. Bastar range inspector general of police as well as home minister Vijay Sharma have been making regular appeals to remaining cadres to return to the mainstream. Although, the state govt is yet to formally announce this plan, it would be considered as a fresh step under the anti-Naxal campaign where the state's roadmap for Jan, Feb and Mar 2026 will be part of a broader national push to free Chhattisgarh from Maoist violence. To execute this, Chhattisgarh will coordinate closely with neighbouring states that share border with affected belts, and seek security forces' support for joint or synchronised operations. If required, additional Central and state forces could be deployed in Bastar region to back the expanded campaign, sources informed. Bastar range IG P Sundarraj said alongside sustained and effective anti-Naxal operations, equal emphasis has been placed on encouraging the surrender and rehabilitation of Maoists who choose to renounce violence and return to mainstream. This balanced, dual-pronged strategy has yielded decisive results, significantly shrinking Maoist base areas, weakening cadre strength, and reducing the size of the Maoist armoury. Sundarraj told TOI that any decision regarding the declaration of a closure date for the surrender and rehabilitation policy rests solely with the govt. According to police records, seven districts in Bastar division have recorded killings of over 473 Maoists from Jan 2024 till Dec 21, 2025, with 2,354 surrenders and 1,813 Maoists arrested.