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Rehabilitation package for North-East militants announced

The much-awaited rehabilitation package for militants who lay down their arms in the North-East was announced by the Centre yesterday.

A copy of the scheme was released by the Assam government in Guwahati last night. It would be implemented by the state government with hundred per cent reimbursement from the Centre.

Besides rehabilitating hardcore militants, the scheme seeks to ensure that the surrendered militants do not rejoin militancy.

The scheme is applicable to those militants who surrender at least with one weapon. However, in exceptional cases, militants who surrender without arms might also be considered for rehabilitation.

The names of such militants would be scrutinised by a screening committee and a final view taken by the state government.

Under the package, the surrendered militants would be initially lodged in a rehabilitation camp with facilities for training in a particular trade of their liking.

They would be paid a monthly stipend of Rs 2000 for a year. The scale of stipend for various categories would be decided by the state government in consultation with the Centre. The stay at the camp would be free of cost.

Cases of minor crimes against successfully rehabilitated militants would be withdrawn, as per the package.

Those militants who had committed heinous crimes like murder, rape and abduction would be subject to the due process of law and surrender would not imply amnesty. A militant who indulges in crime while under rehabilitation would forfeit the benefits under the scheme.

The agency for rehabilitation might be a suitable non-governmental agency or the state government.

The package also includes incentives for giving up weapons. Accordingly, a person surrendering with weapons would get between Rs 25,000 and Rs 3,000 per weapon depending on the type of weapon.

UNI

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