The Jharkhand Government is preparing a blueprint based on Andhra Pradesh model to revise the surrender policy making it more lucrative so that more and more rebels get attracted towards it and put down their guns to get into the mainstream.
“It is a move to make the existing surrender policy more attractive so that more and more people who have lost the track and taken up arms give it a second thought and get into the mainstream,” said DGP Rajiv Kumar.“A meeting was recently held at the Chief Secretary level recommending several modifications like raising the reward money, stipend and revising the financial and educational benefits being given to them,” added the DGP.
Significantly, Surrender policy is getting revised for the third time in the last four years as it has apparently failed to attract the rebels due to several reasons. The file is reportedly lying with the Chief Minister for his approval.Criticising the current surrender policy in the State, the Union Home Ministry had earlier asked State Government to make the policy more lucrative. The surrendered rebels and their family members would also be given skill training at the open jail in Hazaribagh.
“Efforts are being made to replicate the Andhra Pradesh model in toto making the reward money as flexible to suit the profile of the surrendering Naxal. In Bihar and Odisha, it goes up to `10 to 20 lakh,” said a senior police official.According to the recommendations made for the new surrender policy, rebels putting down their arms will be immediately given `5 lakh and the training allowance for them will also be increased from three thousand to `5,000. Earlier they were getting `2.5 lakh in three installments which were also delayed for several months.
“Efforts are being made as alluring as in Andhra Pradesh. Unless it is made flexible, little innovative and worth leaving the organisation, it's very difficult to attract more and more people towards the mainstream. Everyone right from the cadre level to the zonal-commander cannot be kept on the same parameter,” said the official.
To encourage the rebels for surrendering before the Police, the State Government will also arrange free of cost advocates so that they can pursue their legal battle in the court. Moreover, the rebels would also be given Government jobs even with the police department, once they fulfill the required criteria after completion of sentence.
According to the revised surrender policy, there is also a provision to provide vocational training for the spouse of rebels lodged in the jail so that she can earn her living until he comes out to join the mainstream. In addition to that, loan on minimal interest rate will also be arranged for the beneficiaries so that they can start their life from the scratch.
“The old government wanted some changes in the present policy while the present government taking a new initiative wants to make it as innovative and lucrative as possible so that it touches the real greed and mind of the rebels,” said another senior police official.“The central government, on the recommendations of the state governments will prepare a generic model on the basis of which the state will have to adhere to as per their convenience,” the official added.
According to an official data, only 65-70 rebels have surrendered so far before the police in the last four years since the 'Operation Nai Disha' was launched by the State Government in 2010. Initially, the rate of surrender was high but their number started decreasing later.