Raipur, May 23 (IANS) Influenced by the Lon Varratu (Come Back Home) campaign being conducted in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, nine Maoists, including four individuals with rewards on their heads, have surrendered, an official said on Friday.

The surrendered Maoists include Anita Potam, a member of the Dandakaranya Communication Team; Biju Ram Telam from Kamalur, a member of the Line of Sight (LOS) unit; and Badru, also known as Gorga Kadti, the President of the Toynar Revolutionary People’s Committee (RPC) Jantana Sarkar.

The Chhattisgarh government had placed a bounty of Rs 1 lakh on each of them.

Another surrendered Maoist, Payku Podiyam from Potenar, a member of the RPC Chetna Natya Manch, had a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head.

Among those who surrendered, one was active in the Dandakaranya Communication Team, one in Kamalur LOS under the Bhairamgarh Area Committee, one in Toynar RPC, three in Potenar RPC, two in Bechapal RPC, and one in Rewali RPC under the Malanger Area Committee.

These individuals had been involved in various activities such as digging roads, cutting down trees, and putting up Maoist banners, posters, and pamphlets during the “Naxal Bandh Week”.

Their surrender was facilitated by senior officials, including Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj P. (IPS); Deputy Inspector General of Police, Dantewada Range, Kamalochan Kashyap (IPS); Deputy Inspector General of Police (Period), CRPF Dantewada Range, Rakesh Kumar; and other officers, who played a crucial role in convincing them to return to the mainstream.

The Lon Varratu campaign, aimed at eliminating Left Wing Extremism, operates under the Chhattisgarh Government’s Rehabilitation Policy.

The District Police Force and CRPF have been actively reaching out to misguided Maoists to encourage them to reintegrate into society. The government’s Maoists’ rehabilitation policy is being widely promoted in villages, leading to an increasing number of high-profile Maoists surrendering and rejoining mainstream society.

Under this rehabilitation policy, the surrendered Maoists will receive financial assistance of Rs 50,000 along with other benefits provided by the Chhattisgarh government, including skill development training and access to agricultural land.

Since the launch of the Lon Varratu campaign, a total of 984 Maoists, including 236 individuals with government-issued bounties, have surrendered and reintegrated into society.

–IANS

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