Malkangiri: About 300 unarmed Maoist members, including men and women, have surrendered before police in Odisha’s Malkangiri district.
The Maoists belonging to Dhakadpadar, Dabuguda, Taber and Arlingpada villages in Jantri panchayat under Jodambo police station surrendered in BSF camp in Jantri on Saturday afternoon.
The surrendered militia members are not cadres of the banned outfit but act as their helping hands. They were involved in arson, burning of vehicles, enforcing boycott of elections, arranging food and logistics for Maoists, passing information about movement of security forces, and threatening and assaulting innocent tribals branded as police informers.
The villagers claimed they were misled by Maoists and were encouraged by the surrender of 50 militia members on June 2. “Seeing the government’s development work in the region, they decided to join the mainstream and lead a peaceful life,” a national news agency quoted Director General of Police (DGP) S K Bansal as saying on Sunday.
The officials of the district administration distributed MGNREGA job cards and pension cards and the police gave out sports equipment to the surrendered militia members. “We appeal to the Maoists to return to the mainstream and lead a peaceful life,” the DGP added.
