Raipur, Sep 24 (NationPress) In a significant breakthrough for peace and rehabilitation efforts in South Bastar, 71 Maoists, including 30 individuals with bounties totaling Rs 64 lakh, on Wednesday surrendered their arms to authorities as part of the Chhattisgarh government's key initiatives - Lon Varratu (Come Back Home) and Puna Margem (Rehabilitation and Regeneration).

Among the surrendered fighters were 21 women and 50 men, many of whom had engaged in violent activities over the last decade.

One of the notable figures among them was Baman Madkam, who had a bounty of Rs 8 lakh and had been involved in numerous encounters between police and Naxalites across villages such as Dugaiguda, Ambeli, Velagadaram, and Gundam from 2011 to 2024.

Other prominent surrenders included: Shamila alias Somli Kawasi (Rs 5 lakh), linked to arson and armed conflict in Bhairamgarh and Bodga, Gangi alias Rohni Barse (Rs 5 lakh), associated with the 2024 Paradi encounter, Deve alias Kavita Madvi (Rs 5 lakh), involved in the Jiram forest skirmishes, and Joga Madkam (Rs 2 lakh), connected to incidents in Marjum and Gogunda Dunginpara.

The surrendered Maoists confessed to participating in disruptive activities, including road digging, tree felling, and propaganda during Naxalite bandh weeks.

This mass surrender was made possible through sustained outreach and confidence-building initiatives led by the District Police Force and CRPF, under the leadership of senior officials like IG Bastar Range Sundarraj P. (IPS), DIG Dantewada Range Kamalochan Kashyap (IPS), DIG CRPF Rakesh Chaudhary, SP Dantewada Gaurav Rai (IPS), and ASP Ramkumar Barman (RPS).

The surrender ceremony was held at the Superintendent of Police office in Dantewada, where the cadres were welcomed by a joint team of police and CRPF officials, including commandants and second commanding officers from the 111th, 195th, 230th, and 231st CRPF battalions.

Special units such as DRG/Bastar Fighters and the Special Intelligence Branch of Dantewada and Jagdalpur played a vital role in convincing the Maoists to abandon violence and reintegrate into society, according to officials.

As part of the state's rehabilitation policy, each surrendered cadre will be granted Rs 50,000 in financial assistance, along with access to skill development programs, agricultural land, and other support services designed to ensure a dignified transition back to civilian life.

This wave of surrenders signifies an important advance in the government's mission to restore peace and development in the insurgency-affected areas of Bastar.