Surrendered Naxalites and people affected by Naxal violence in Chhattisgarh’s Balrampur district are receiving housing benefits under a special project of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) for the first time, officials said.Chief Executive Officer, District Panchayat Balrampur, Nayantara Singh Tomar, told ANI on Friday that beneficiaries include those who have either surrendered or were affected by Naxalite incidents. “A list of 77 people was received, out of which 30 were found eligible, and 23 have been approved for housing. After addressing technical shortcomings, the remaining 7 will also be approved,” Tomar said.Sitaram Sonwani, a surrendered Naxalite, told ANI, “I joined a Naxalite group in 1999. My wife forced me to leave the organisation. We stayed in Assam for 15 years, and later I surrendered. I also spent 14 months in jail for past crimes. Today, my family is happily living in a house we received under PMAY. I thank the government.”Separately, on 31 March, a team of security forces recovered the body of a female Naxalite, carrying a reward of Rs 25 lakh, along with an INSAS rifle and other items, from an encounter site in Dantewada, as per officials. The operation was conducted in areas under Geedam and Bhairamgarh police stations.A day earlier, on 30 March, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that 50 Naxalites surrendered in Bijapur district. “It is a matter of great joy that 50 Naxalites surrendered in Bijapur, abandoning the path of violence. Modi ji’s policy is clear — any Naxalite who leaves weapons and adopts the path of development will be rehabilitated and connected to the mainstream,” Shah said in a post on X.
