3 min readBhubaneswarDec 23, 2025 05:14 PM IST
First published on: Dec 23, 2025 at 05:14 PM IST
Days after the government revised the Maoist surrender and rehabilitation policy, as many as 22 left-wing extremists (LWE) — including a divisional committee member and six area committee members — surrendered arms before the police in Odisha’s Malkangiri.
The cadres also handed over firearms including an AK-47, two INSAS rifles and an SLR, along with 150 rounds of ammunition, 20 kg of explosives, IEDs, gelatin sticks and Maoist literature. The surrendered cadres, most of whom are from Chhattisgarh, carried a combined bounty of around Rs 2 crore.
Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) Y B Khurania, who was present during the surrender of the Maoist cadres, said the Odisha Police has been working towards the goal of making the country free of Maoist insurgency by March 2026.
“The state government has recently announced a revised Maoist surrender and rehabilitation policy, which is best in the country. Surrender of the 22 cadres is a result of our policy. We urge the Maoist cadres to shun arms and to join the mainstream. The government will extend them all help for their rehabilitation,” Khurania told reporters.
With the surrender of the 22 cadres, the largest mass surrender of the year, officials said it is expected that 60 to 70 extremists are still hiding in various forests of the state.
While left-wing extremism activities have been restricted to limited pockets (Kandhamal-Boudh-Kalahandi-Nuapada axis), the influx of Maoists from Chhattisgarh into Odisha through the Gariaband-Nuapada forests has been a cause of concern for the Odisha Police.
“As Chhattisgarh has launched a massive anti-Maoist operation, the DGP said that all measures are being undertaken to prevent influx of Maoist cadres into Odisha from the neighbouring states,” said the DGP. As many as six of Odisha’s total nine districts identified as LWE-hit districts share a border with Chhattisgarh.
The surrendered cadres will receive financial grants as per the revised policy, which offers a substantial hike in incentives compared to the previous policy revised in 2014.
Besides financial incentives, the state government also provides additional benefits such as houses under the rural housing scheme, one-time marriage assistance, enrolment in skill development programmes with provision of a monthly stipend, and healthcare benefits.
Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) Y B Khurania said the Odisha Police has been working towards the goal of making the country free of Maoist insurgency by March 2026. (Express photo) 
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