Maharashtra: Surrender policy for Naxals extended till August 2019

Mumbai: Terming it a successful weapon against the Naxals, the Maharashtra government has extended its policy facilitating surrender by the ultras for two years.

The state home department recently approved extension of the `Aatmasamarpan' (surrender) scheme for Naxals till August 28, 2019, a senior police official said today.

Satish Mathur, the state Director General of Police, had submitted a proposal to this effect in June.

Following Mathur's proposal, the home department recently issued a Government Resolution (GR) extending the scheme.

The GR noted that the policy has proved to be a successful weapon against Naxals in the Gadchiroli and Gondia districts of the state.

The Naxal surrender scheme was introduced in 2005 with the aim of rehabilitating and absorbing the ultras in the mainstream of society. The scheme was relaunched with some changes in April 2013.

Since then the scheme has been very effective in curbing the influence of Naxals, the official said.

Recently, Gomaji alias Arshu Chaitu Jetti, a Naxal leader with a reward of Rs 2.5 lakh on his head, surrendered before the Gadchiroli police. A total of 17 Naxals have surrendered before the district police as of August 2017, the official said.