Kerala: Surrender policy for Maoists likely

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Taking a cue from many other states affected by left wing extremism, Kerala is also trying to frame a surrender and rehabilitation policy for Maoists offering jobs and settlement schemes. State police chief Loknath Behera has  submitted a draft proposal in this regard to the home department. The government would be taking a final decision after discussions in the LDF and the cabinet, said sources.

According to police sources, the draft policy mooted by the police included granting jobs, vocational training, stipend, bulk financial assistance, agriculture land for cultivation and housing facilities. Additional financial incentives would be offered in case they  surrender their weapons. Sources at the  police headquarters said that  Malappuram district police chief Debesh Kumar Behera had drafted the scheme and it was vetted by  the state police chief before submitting to the government. No relaxation is likely in the case of  serious cases pending against Maoists as part of the policy.

Police sources preferred to be tight-lipped on the details of the draft scheme. The need for a surrender policy  was also discussed at a recent meeting of police chiefs of southern states. Over these years,  hundreds of left wing extremists had surrendered in states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha and Telengana. The centre used to provide financial assistance to the states for the surrender schemes for Maoists, which ranges from '1.5 lakh per person, said sources.