DANTEWADA: The country’s first township dedicated to surrendered Naxals and the victims of Naxal violence is being constructed in Dantewada’s district of Chhattisgarh.
As per Abhishek Pallav, superintendent of police (SP) Dantewada, the township is being built by the surrendered Naxals themselves.
It will have facilities like a skill development centre that will help the victims and the former Naxals to be self-dependent.
Pallav said that residents of the township will be given training in different fields like electric work, repairing, scientific farming and cattle rearing to help them generate employment in their villages.
“We launched ‘Lon Varatu’ campaign that means ‘homecoming’ a year ago. Within a year, 381 Naxals, out of which 101 were wanted Naxals, have surrendered,” he said.
Pallav informed that according to feedback taken after a year of the campaign, the government realised that only 32 surrendered Naxals had an Aadhaar card or a bank account and others could not avail the benefits of any scheme launched by the government because of this. “We then launched ‘Lon Varatu Campaign 2’ under which 250 Naxals have been issued Aadhaar cards. We have opened bank accounts for them and they will be able to avail benefits of 12 government schemes now,” he added.
Pallav said that some beneficiaries had been assaulted by Naxals and were scared to stay in their villages.
