Mumbai/Gadchiroli.
As many as 11 Naxalites, including a fierce Naxalite leader Tarraka, surrendered before the Gadchiroli police in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was on a day-long tour of the Naxal-affected district.
Out of the 11 fierce Naxalites who surrendered, 8 were women and 3 were men. Tarraka, who is the head of the Dandakaranya Zonal Committee and an active Naxalite for the last 34 years, also surrendered and returned to the mainstream. All of these surrendered Naxalites have been given financial assistance worth 86 lakh rupees by the state government to lead a normal life.
They had bounties totalling more than Rs 1 crore on their heads. Chhattisgarh government had also announced a bounty on them. The surrendered Maoists included three division committee members, one deputy commander, and two area committee members.
Meanwhile, during his Gadchiroli tour, the Chief Minister also inaugurated a bus service in the remote village from Aheri to Gardewada and a check post at Pengunda connecting the Chhattisgarh border.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister said that North Gadchiroli has been freed from Maoism, and soon South Gadchiroli will also be free. In the last 4 years, not a single youth has joined Maoism, which is a great achievement. 11 villages have banned Naxalites. Gadchiroli will get the status of Steel City in the coming period.
He added, “Recruitment of Maoist has ended in Maharashtra. Many of the outlaws have been neutralized and arrested. Tarakka, who was a part of the Maoist movement for 34 years and worked to spread it in Maharashtra, has surrendered. In the coming time, Naxalism will be eliminated from Maharashtra”.
