Chhattisgarh

• 25 Mar 2025

Special Incentives for ‘Maoism free’ Panchayats

Why in News? 

The Chhattisgarh government has introduced a scheme to incentivize Maoist surrenders in Bastar, providing Rs 1 crore in construction projects and other benefits to panchayats designated as “Maoism-free.” 

 Key Points 

• Maoist Surrender Requirement: 
  • The state Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma announced that under the Elvad Panchayat Abhiyan, a panchayat must ensure the surrender of all residents involved in Naxal activities. After this, the village can submit a proposal to be declared “Maoism-free.” 
• Incentives for Maoism-Free Panchayats: 
  • Immediate sanction of Rs 1 crore for construction projects. 
  • Installation of mobile towers or signal transmission from nearby towers to improve network access. 
  • Extension of electricity lines to the panchayat, with solar lighting as a temporary measure until grid connections are established. 
• Comparison with ODF Villages and Rehabilitation Policy: 
  • The Deputy CM compared the initiative to the Open Defecation-Free (ODF) village campaign, emphasizing collective community participation. 
  • He also highlighted provisions of the Chhattisgarh Naxal Surrender/Victim Relief and Rehabilitation Policy-2025, which includes: 
    • Skill Development: Training for surrendered Maoists. 
    • Housing and Land Allocation: Under the PM Housing Scheme. 
    • Financial Assistance: Additional relief measures for rehabilitation. 

 Maoism  

• About:   
  • Maoism is a form of communism developed by Mao Tse Tung. It is a doctrine to capture State power through a combination of armed insurgency, mass mobilization and strategic alliances.   
    • Mao called this process, the ‘Protracted People's War’, where the emphasis is on ‘military line’ to capture power.   
• Maoist Ideology:   
  • The central theme of Maoist ideology is the use of violence and armed insurrection as a means to capture State power.    
  • ‘Bearing of arms is non-negotiable’ as per the Maoist insurgency doctrine.    
• Indian Maoists:   
  • The largest and the most violent Maoist formation in India is the Communist Party of India (Maoist) formed in 2004.   
  • The CPI (Maoist) and its front organizations were banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.   
  • Front Organizations are the off-shoots of the parent Maoist party, which professes a separate existence to escape legal liability.