Jagdalpur: Fifty-one Maoists, with a collective bounty of Rs 1.61 crore, laid down arms before security forces in two districts of the Bastar division in Chhattisgarh on Saturday.
This takes the number of surrenders across Chhattisgarh to nearly 300 this year, with the deadline to end Left Wing Extremism in the country drawing near. The Union home ministry has set March 31, 2026 as the target to rid the country of Naxalite-related violence.
Saturday’s surrenders coincided with the inauguration of the Bastar Pandum 2026 festival in Jagdalpur, the headquarters of Bastar district, by President Droupadi Murmu and Union home minister Amit Shah, who arrived at Raipur on a three-day visit.
There were 34 women among the Maoists who surrendered, The Tribune reported.
Sundarraj Pattilingam, IGP, Bastar Range, said 30 cadres, including 20 women, surrendered in the Bijapur district, while 21 others, including 14 female members, joined the mainstream in the neighbouring Sukma district under the “Poona Margem” rehabilitation initiative of Bastar Police.
According to him, the rebels said they were impressed by the state government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy.
The cadres who surrendered in Bijapur belonged to the south sub-zonal bureau. Among them was Boti Podiyam alias Malla (23), a platoon party committee member, and
Sukhram Madkam (24), and Reena Punem (25), both party members of different companies. Each of them carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh, the IG said.
While five others carried a bounty of Rs 5 lakh each, 14 Maoists carried a reward of Rs 2 lakh each. Eight others carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh each.
The 21 cadres who surrendered in Sukma belong to the Darbha, South Bastar, and Kalahandi-Kandhamal-Boudh-Nayagarh (KKBN) (Odisha) divisions.
Sodhi Mahesh (35), Podiyam Raju (30), and Karam Mamta (30) – all divisional committee members – carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh each on their heads, were among those who gave themselves up.
Five others carried a bounty of Rs 5 lakh each, while the reward announced for 12 others was Rs 2 lakh each. One carried a bounty of Rs 3 lakh, Sundarraj said.
In Sukma, the rebels laid down arms, including three AK-47 rifles with 8 magazines, two Self Loading Rifles with two magazines, an Insas rifle, five single-shot guns, three Barrel Grenade Launchers (BGLs) with 20 rounds, ten gelatin sticks and 20 non-electric detonators, he said.
“The achievement was the result of the state government’s comprehensive anti-Naxal policy, sustained and effective action by security forces, and coordinated efforts based on peace, dialogue and development, clearly indicating that abandoning the path of violence and choosing a dignified and secure life is the only lasting solution,” the IG added.
The surrendered Maoists were provided with immediate assistance of Rs 50,000 each and will be further rehabilitated as per the government’s policy.
Chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai reacted to the surrenders and said they marked another significant step towards ensuring peace, trust and development in the Bastar region.