Bijapur, Feb 7 (UNI) Thirty Maoist cadres, including operatives from the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) companies No. 2, 3 and 7, surrendered today under Chhattisgarh’s rehabilitation policy, dealing a significant blow to the insurgent network in southern Bastar.
The surrendered cadres carried a combined bounty of Rs 85 lakh. They laid down arms before senior police officials under the ‘Puna Margem: Rehabilitation to Rejuvenation’ campaign. The group comprised 20 women and 10 men, many of whom had held key positions within the Maoist hierarchy.
Police said the cadres were associated with the South Sub Zonal Bureau and had remained active in the dense forest belt of Bijapur. The group included company members, party members, area committee functionaries and Janatana Sarkar office bearers.
Among the prominent cadres were Boti Podiyam (PLGA Company No. 02, PPCM, Rs 8 lakh), Sukhram Madkam (Company No. 02, Party Member, Rs 8 lakh), Reena Punem (Company No. 07, Party Member, Rs 8 lakh), Pakli Kartam (National Park Area Committee Secretary, Rs 5 lakh) and Shanti Punem (Platoon No. 11, PPCM, Rs 5 lakh). Others included Kumma Kartam, Poriye Oyam and Pande Uika, each carrying a Rs 5 lakh reward.
An additional 22 cadres, including Munni Telam, Kosi Madvi and Dashru Pallo, also surrendered. Their individual bounties ranged between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 2 lakh. Explosive materials, including cardex wire and gelatin sticks, were deposited during the surrender, police said.
Bijapur Superintendent of Police Dr. Jitendra Kumar Yadav said the development reflected the success of sustained security operations combined with the state’s rehabilitation outreach. He appealed to remaining Maoists to abandon violence and return to the mainstream.
Bastar Range Inspector General Sundarraj P. Pattalingam said the expansion of security camps, improved road connectivity and the reach of development schemes had steadily weakened the Maoist base. He said the Puna Margem initiative offered a credible path to peace and dignified reintegration.
Official records show that since January 1, 2024, 918 Maoist cadres have surrendered in Bijapur, while 1,163 have been arrested and 232 killed in encounters. Each surrendered cadre is provided immediate financial assistance of Rs 50,000, apart from rehabilitation benefits.
