Malkangiri: In a major breakthrough, 22 underground CPI (Maoist) cadres surrendered to the Odisha Police on Tuesday, marking the first major surrender of the year in the state.
The cadres, including one senior Divisional Committee Member (DVCM) and six Area Committee Members (ACMs), renounced violence and opted to join the mainstream, in the presence of Director General of Police Yogesh Bahadur Khurania.
During the surrender, the cadres handed over nine firearms, including an AK-47, two INSAS rifles, an SLR, three .303 rifles, and two single-shot rifles, along with 150 rounds of ammunition, nine magazines, 20 kg of explosives, 13 IEDs, gelatin sticks, codex wire, and Maoist literature.
This mass surrender marks a major setback for the CPI (Maoist), significantly weakening its leadership, morale, and operational strength.
Under the Odisha Government’s Rehabilitation Policy, surrendered cadres will receive financial assistance according to their rank:
- Divisional Committee Secretary / Commander of Military Platoon: Rs 27.5 lakh
- DVCM / CyPCM: Rs 22 lakh
- ACM / PPCM: Rs 5.5 lakh
- Party Member (PM): Rs 1.65 lakh
Additional incentives are also provided for the surrender of weapons:
- LMG: Rs 4.95 lakh | AK-47: Rs 3.3 lakh | INSAS Rifle: Rs 1.65 lakh | SLR: Rs 1.65 lakh | .303 Rifle: Rs 82,500 | 12 Bore / Single Shot Gun: Rs 33,000
For the current surrender, the total reward amounts to Rs 1.84 crore. An interim relief of Rs 25,000 has been handed over to each cadre.
The state government will also extend further benefits, including: Provision of a house under Antyodaya Gruha Yojana, one-time marriage incentive of Rs 25,000, enrollment in skill development programs with a monthly stipend of Rs 10,000 for up to 36 months, health card under state/central government schemes and free/subsidized ration under PMGKAY, Antyodaya Anna Yojana, or similar schemes
DGP Yogesh Bahadur Khurania appealed to other underground Maoist cadres and leaders to surrender, assuring full support, protection, and assistance under Odisha’s rehabilitation and reintegration program, enabling them to rebuild their lives peacefully and with dignity.
