Visakhapatnam: Accommodation centre to be set up for surrendered Maoists

Visakhapatnam: Maoists who aspire to give up and join the mainstream may now do so sans the slightest trace of fear as Visakha Rural District police intend to set up an accommodation centre for them.

The facility is going to be in close proximity to the police station so that the surrendered can stay at the facility without any fear of being targeted by the banned outfit.

Explaining the model which is likely to come up in G Madugula, Visakha Rural District Superintendent of Police B Krishna Rao said, "The idea is to keep them in close proximity to the police station so that in case of any contingency, we could always reach out to them immediately. We are trying to work out a model and identify a portion of land which can be developed into a housing facility for the surrendered."

While one of the proposals to arrange such facility is G Madugula, the police are also contemplating other viable options.

Along with others, top 10 surrendered Maoists who face the threat from the banned outfit would be given accommodation facility. "This apart, either they would be engaged in farming or trained in livelihood skills so that they can start a venture on their own," the SP explained.

But placing all of them in a facility doesn't call for a larger risk? "That's the very reason why we wanted to set it up close to the local police station as it acts as a deterrent for the militia group to approach the Maoists who gave up," Krishna Rao added.

Vexed with the Maoist ideology and recent killings of the innocent tribals by branding them as 'informers', party member of Pedabayalu Dalam Pangi Jaggarao alias Srinu (31), militia commander of Jana Natya Mandali, Kondurm pocket Pangi Mugiri alias Vishnu (28) and armed militia Vanthala Narayana alias Siddhu (25) surrendered before police on Saturday.

While 14 militia members gave up in 2020, three of them have already been surrendered by March this year apart from an extremist earlier. With intensified combing operations, the SP exuded confidence that the surrendered count is, in all likelihood, to go up in the coming months.