108 Maoists With Rs 3.95 Crore Rewards Lay Down Arms In Chhattisgarh
Deputy CM Sharma said 30 Naxalite area committees fall in Bastar, of which 26 have been disbanded, and work to ban four more is on.
Published : March 11, 2026 at 4:05 PM IST
Bastar: In an astounding success of the Centre's continued efforts to eliminate Left Wing Extremism, 108 Maoists — including 44 women — with a cumulative reward of Rs 3.95 crore, surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Bastar on Wednesday, officials said. These include six DVCM-level Naxalites, three company platoon members, 18 PPCMs, 23 area committee members, and 56 party members.
Deputy chief minister Vijay Sharma said the surrender also followed the return of 101 weapons, including six AK-47s, one AK-47 PARG, 11 INSAS rifles, one carbine, five SLR rifles, and a BGL. "Rs 3.6 crore and a kg of gold buried by the Naxalites near the Indravati River in Bijapur have been recovered," he added.
Sharma further said 30 area committees of the Naxalites fall within the Bastar division, of which 26 have been disbanded. "Work to disband four more is in progress. Chhattisgarh will be free of Naxalism by March 31," he added.
"We will not rest until eliminating Naxalism within the stipulated timeframe. The Chhattisgarh government plans to withdraw forces from Bastar by 2027. By March 31, we will be in a position to eliminate Naxalism. Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated during a review meeting that central forces could be withdrawn around March 31, 2027. However, there is still a year left. These matters will be decided after that," Sharma said further.
Bastar IG Sundarraj P said 108 Maoist cadres of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) have laid down arms at the Bastar division headquarters in Jagdalpur under the Poona Margem (Rehabilitation through Rebirth) initiative. "All of them have vowed to return to the mainstream in the presence of senior members of the community, senior officials from the police, central security forces, and the district administration," he added.
He said the largest dump recovery in the history of anti-Naxalite operations in the country was made based on information from cadres who have surrendered. "A reward of Rs 3.95 crore was announced for the 108 Maoists who have surrendered. They are residents of Bijapur, Narayanpur, Bastar, Kanker, Sukma, and Dantewada districts," he added.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has set March 31 as the deadline to eliminate Maoism from Indian soil. To meet the deadline, security personnel are continuously working on various strategies in Bastar. On one hand, they are carrying out operations in the core areas of Naxalites, while offering them the option to shun violence and return to the mainstream on the other hand.
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