Didi enhances rehab package for Maoists
Having failed to receive any Maoist response to the financial and rehabilitation package which she had announced in July to encourage the rebels to surrender, chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday enhance it manifold.
“This is not a new decision. We had last month announced the rehabilitation package to encourage the Maoists to lay down arms and return to the mainstream. On Thursday, the government revised the package and the chief secretary issued the necessary notification in this regard,” she announced at the Writers’ Buildings.
Earlier the state government had fixed `15,000 for a surrendered small weapon. Ms Banerjee said the amount has been increased to `1 lakh. For a rifle or light machine guns, the earlier compensation of `25,000 was increased to `2 lakh “Besides, after a rebel surrenders, he will be given a monthly stipend of `2,000 for next 36 months,” she said, adding that in this period he would be given a government job.
After the surrender of a rebel, the state government will also keep an amount of `1.5 lakh in his fixed deposit amount which he could not withdraw for three years.
The state government has also fast-tracked the release of 50 political prisoners. Ms Banerjee had earlier announced that the government had in consultation with the Bandi Mukti Committee decided to release 52 prisoners. “We have already issued government orders for the release of 50 of them. Over the remaining two prisoners, we are in talks with the Centre,” she added.
Since she came to power, Ms Banerjee has been persistently striving to restore peace in Jangalmahal. In pursuit of this goal, she has on one hand allocated a huge development package for the tribals and on the other, made several appeals to the Maoists to come to the negotiation table.
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