Raipur/Sukma: In a fresh boost to operations against Maoists in Bastar, four Naxalites, including two women, carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 8 lakh on their heads, surrendered before security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Friday.
The cadres, affiliated with the Kistaram area committee of the banned CPI (Maoist)’s south Bastar division, laid down arms under the state government’s ‘Poona Margem’ initiative, which emphasises rehabilitation and social reintegration.
Police officials said the surrendered individuals included Sodhi Joga, an area committee member with a Rs 5 lakh reward, along with Dabar Ganga (alias Madkam Ganga), Sodhi Raje, and Madvi Budhari, each carrying a Rs one lakh bounty. They handed over a significant arsenal: one INSAS rifle, one Self-Loading Rifle (SLR), one .303 rifle, one .315 rifle, and accompanying ammunition.
The cadres cited the Chhattisgarh government’s effective surrender and rehabilitation policy as a key motivator for quitting the insurgency.
Police from Sukma district, in coordination with counterparts from Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitarama Raju district, facilitated the process.
Officials attributed the growing wave of surrenders to recent strategic gains: the establishment of new security camps in Kistaram and Golapalli areas, enhanced road connectivity opening remote regions, and sustained anti-Naxal operations that have severely restricted Maoist freedom of movement.
These developments have curbed extortion, recruitment, and logistical support for insurgents in the region.
Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan appealed to remaining Maoist cadres to abandon violence, assuring them of security, dignified livelihoods, and full rehabilitation benefits, including financial assistance, as per government norms.
This incident adds to a remarkable trend in 2026: over 200 Naxalites have surrendered in Chhattisgarh so far this year, following mass events like 52 in neighbouring Bijapur on January 15.
In 2025 alone, more than 1,500 cadres joined the mainstream, reflecting the impact of intensified security measures, welfare outreach, and rehabilitation schemes.
The Central government has said that it is committed to eradicating Left-Wing Extremism nationwide by March 2026, with Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division seeing accelerated progress through area domination, intelligence-led actions, and community engagement.
Authorities view these surrenders as evidence of weakening Maoist morale and strengthening state presence in once-inaccessible forests.
(IANS)
