Chhattisgarh to review 'non-serious' Maoist cases for release of eligible accused

Raipur, Jul 11 (PTI) The Chhattisgarh government has ordered a legal review of individuals jailed in “non-serious” Maoist-related cases that did not involve incidents like loss of life to facilitate their release from jail, officials said on Saturday. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who also holds the Home portfolio, issued the directions on Friday while chairing a meeting of the Police Department on relief, rehabilitation and development works in Maoist-affected areas, an official statement said. He asked officials to constitute a team of prosecutors and lawyers, with assistance from the Law Department, to examine withdrawal of eligible Maoist-related cases after due legal scrutiny, it said. Sharma said it was necessary to release Naxalites involved in “non-serious” cases that did not involve incidents like loss of life after following due legal procedures, according to the statement. Chhattisgarh was declared free of armed Maoists on March 31 this year. To accelerate development in erstwhile severely Maoist-affected areas, the state government will sanction development works worth Rs 1 crore in each village that has passed a resolution declaring itself free of Naxalite influence, the statement said. At present, 50 such villages have been identified, including 20 each in Sukma and Bijapur districts and 10 in Narayanpur district, it said. The Deputy CM also directed officials to hoist the national flag in all Maoist-free villages on Independence Day this year to promote national unity, public confidence and people's participation, it said. He instructed officials to provide houses to all families affected by Maoist violence and rehabilitated beneficiaries under the special provisions of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Community memorials will also be built at sites of major Maoist incidents to honour security personnel and civilians who lost their lives. Sharma directed that all government benefits be provided to the kin of security personnel martyred and civilians killed in Naxal violence without any delay, it said. He also instructed officials to ensure that incentive amounts announced under the state's rehabilitation policy are disbursed to rehabilitated youths within one month and directed that all benefits provided to Maoist victims and rehabilitated persons be regularly updated on a dedicated dashboard, it said. The home minister further told officials to form an inter-state committee to verify and recover weapons looted by Maoists and ensure that no firearms are left behind during anti-Maoist operations, it said. The meeting was also attended by Principal Secretary Niharika Singh Barik, Secretary Neha Champawat and Additional Director General of Police Vivekanand Sinha. PTI TKP NR