Raipur: Chhattisgarh deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Vijay Sharma on March 26 reiterated that the state government will sanction immediate work the Gram (village) Panchayats, declaring themselves free from Maoist-insurgency.
“We have said that the Panchayats, which will declare themselves Naxal-free, will be sanctioned work of Rs 1 crore, said Sharma.
He added that the villagers are willing to get rid of the Maoist issue and there is no point in roaming around in the jungles with guns.
“People understand this. When you talk to the surrendered people you will understand this, they (local villagers) joined the outfit either under the influence of someone close or by fear and now when the government wants to integrate everyone, they are too willing to get away from Naxalism,” said Sharma while highlighting that the state government has introduced an effective surrender cum victim rehabilitation policy.
#WATCH | Raipur: On the Dantewada encounter, Chhattisgarh Deputy CM Vijay Sharma says, "Till now, the bodies of three Naxals have been recovered…These figures may vary and increase…all this is still going on in the border areas of Bijapur and Dantewada. Arms have also been… pic.twitter.com/dnHSCu5Hoi
— ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2025
9 Maoists surrender in Sukma
Meanwhile in a related development, 9 members of the proscribed CPI (Maoist) surrendered before the police in violence-hit Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, police said on Wednesday.
The surrendered cadres were involved in major incidents and carrying a collective reward of Rs 26 lakhs, informed Superintendent of Police (SP) Sukma, Kiran Chouhan.
“9 Naxalites have surrendered today. They were members of the battalion no 01, Jagargunda Area Committee and Kistaram Area Committee. They were involved in major incidents such as the Minpa and Jagargunda. They were also involved in attacks on security camps, and disrupting progress work. They are pained by the hollow ideology of the Maoist and hence surrendered. They will be provided with the benefits of surrender and rehabilitation policy,” he said.
Maoist carrying reward of Rs 25 lakh gunned down in encounter
The development occurred on the heels of security forces neutralising three Maoists in a fierce exchange of fire in the forest area along the borders of Dantewada and Bijapur districts on Tuesday.
The operation was launched following the police received inputs about presence of Maoists in the forest areas under the jurisdiction of Geedam police station near the borders of Dantewada.
The gunfight broke out in the early hours of the day resulting in neutralisation of three armed members of the outlawed outfit. The operation was launched by a joint team of District Reserve Guards (DRG) and Bastar Fighters, both units of the state police specilaised in guerilla warfare.
#WATCH | Dantewada | Visuals of the arms and ammunition recovered by security forces and bodies of the three Naxalites who were neutralised during the encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district today.
(Visual Source: Dantewada SP) https://t.co/GqJSyOYwVb pic.twitter.com/iQZmecwdgO
— ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2025
After the gunfight stopped, the joint team recovered bodies of three men alongside seizing arms and explosive from the spot. One of the Maoists killed in the encounter has been identified as Sudhir alias Murli alias Sudhakar.
Sudhakar, a resident of Andhra Pradesh was a member of the Dandkaranya Special Zonal Committee. He was carrying a bounty of Rs 25 lakhs on his head.
