Chhattisgarh offers incentives for 'Naxal-Free' villages; mobile network and ₹1 cr for development

Raipur, In a fresh bid to eradicate Naxalism, the Chhattisgarh government has announced a series of substantial incentives for village panchayats that declare themselves 'Naxal-free' which includes mobile phone network connectivity, electricity, and ₹one crore for development works.

Additionally, the state government announced initiatives in the rehabilitation policy cleared by the cabinet aimed at encouraging Naxalites to surrender and reintegrate into mainstream society.

The announcement by Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma comes a day after security forces killed 30 Naxals in two separate encounters in the Bastar region, highlighting the government's intensified zero-tolerance approach.

The government announced that it will launch "Elvad Panchayat Abhiyan," under which panchayats facilitating surrenders and declaring themselves Maoist-free will receive the incentives.

"Village panchayats that facilitate the surrender of Naxalites and declare themselves free from the menace will be sanctioned construction works of ₹one crore, mobile phone network, and electricity," Sharma, who also holds Home portfolio, told reporters.

The recently approved Chhattisgarh Naxal Surrender and Victim Relief and Rehabilitation Policy-2025 offers comprehensive support to surrendered Naxals, including free accommodation, food for three years, and monthly financial assistance of ₹10,000.

"Naxalites who have laid down arms will be provided skill development training, land, and houses under the PM housing scheme. Many other provisions, including financial aid, have been included in the new policy," Sharma said, adding the implementation of the new policy will encourage more Naxals to lay down arms and join the mainstream.

Furthermore, the rehabilitation policy extends to victims of Naxal violence, offering financial aid, land, and other forms of support to those displaced by Maoist threats.

In a tribute to fallen security personnel, the government has allocated ₹10 crore through the Panchayat Department for the "Veer Balidani scheme," which will fund the installation of statues of security personnel killed in their native villages.

An initial phase will see 500-600 statues erected, fulfilling a long-pending demand from the families of the deceased.

Sharma also lauded the security forces for their successful operations in Bijapur and Kanker districts. He explained that the Naxals had gathered for a meeting during their Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign when they were surrounded by security forces.

While 26 Naxalites were killed in Bijapur district, four Maoists were gunned down in Kanker by separate joint teams of security personnel. A police jawan was also killed in the encounter in Bijapur.

The Deputy Chief Minister also highlighted the government's efforts to improve connectivity and infrastructure in Naxal-affected areas.

For 25 years, Pamed was only accessible through Telangana covering a distance of 250 kilometers and there was no direct connectivity from Bijapur district headquarters to Pamed.

Now with the efforts of security forces, Pamed is accessible from Bijapur via Tarrem and Kondapalli, covering a distance of 90 km, and one bus has started operating for the commuters on the route, he said.

Weekly markets in several remote villages, including Garpa, Pujarikanker and Kondapalli, which were shut for the last several years due to Maoist activities have been reopened. At least 577 new mobile towers have been installed in the region, he said.

The Centre has announced that the menace of Naxalism will be finished by March 31, next year.

So far this year, 113 Naxalites have been killed in encounters in Chhattisgarh. Of them, 97 were gunned down in the Bastar division comprising seven districts including Bijapur and Kanker.

As many as 104 Naxals were arrested in different parts of the country and 164 have surrendered in 2025 so far.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.