15 Naxalites, including five women, surrendered in Sukma district under state rehabilitation schemes.
Four hardcore PLGA cadres carried bounties of Rs 8 lakh each; others had rewards ranging from Rs 1–5 lakh.
Each surrendered cadre received Rs 50,000 assistance and will be further rehabilitated under government policy.
As many as 15 Naxalites, nine of them carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 48 lakh, surrendered before security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Monday, officials said.
The cadres, including five women and members of the PLGA (People's Liberation Guerrilla Army), turned themselves in before senior officials from the police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan said.
According to the official, the surrendered cadres said that they were impressed by the state government's 'Niyad Nellanar' (your good village) scheme, aimed at facilitating development works in remote villages, the new surrender and rehabilitation policy, "Poona Margham (Rehabilitation for Social Reintegration) and hence decided to shun the path of the armed movement.
Poona Margham is a rehabilitation initiative launched by the Bastar Range police.
Four hardcore cadres of PLGA battalion no. 1, Madvi Sanna (28), his wife Sodi Hidme (25), Suryam alias Ravva Soma (30) and his wife Meena alias Madvi Bhime (28), who carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh each, were among those who gave up violence, he said.
Among others, two were active as area committee members and carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh each, one Maoist carried Rs 3 lakh reward, while two more carried bounties of Rs 2 lakh and Rs 1 lakh, Chavan said.
The surrendered cadres were provided assistance of Rs 50,000 each and will be further rehabilitated as per the government's policy, police said.
More than 2,150 Naxalites, including top cadres, have surrendered in Chhattisgarh in the last 23 months, they said.
