State lacks policy for surrendered militants
SHILLONG: Surrender of militants has been on the rise in State especially in Garo Hills. But without a proper policy on the part of the State Government, there is a chance of misuse of the Centre’s surrender package.
A senior police official, while admitting the likelihood of misuse of surrender package, said that police would verify each case of surrender before providing the surrender package.
“There are some individuals who surrendered after staying with an outfit for a few months. How can we consider their cases?” the police official asked.
Besides the recent surrender of five AMEF cadres after killing a trader in East Garo Hills to avail the surrender package, there were several cases of misuse of surrender package in East Khasi Hill in the past as some surrendered cadres had defaulted in bank loans after purchasing local taxis for self employment.
As per the revised surrender-cum-rehabilitation package of April 1998 initiated by the Union Ministry of Home affairs, an immediate grant of Rs 1.5 lakh is to be given to each surrendered cadre which is to be kept in a bank in his or her name as fixed deposit for a period of 3 years. This money can be utilized as collateral security/margin money against loan to be availed by the surrenderee from the bank for self employment.
Besides, the stipend per month to each surrendered cadre for a period of one year has been increased from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,500 from December, 2009.
As per a Union Home Ministry report, the State Government may consult the Home Affairs, if support to beneficiaries is further required beyond one year and also provisions for vocational training to the surrendered cadres for self-employment.
As far as Manipur is concerned, a special scheme for surrender cum- rehabilitation is being implemented from December 2012 wherein Rs 2.5 lakh is provided as an immediate grant and Rs 4,000 monthly stipend for 3 years is given to surrendered militants.
The State Government had in June this year constituted a Committee headed by Commissioner and Secretary, Planning, Pankaj Jain to work out a surrender package and livelihood initiatives for the splinter groups in Garo Hills who are willing to surrender.