MALKANGIRI:The district police has launched a new initiative 'Mission Education' to educate the surrendered Maoists and other unemployed poor and tribal youths.
Speaking to mediapersons after launching the programme at the district police office here on Friday, SP Jagmohan Meena said the objective of the initiative is to provide free education to the rebels who have joined the mainstream.
A total of 56 youths including 18 surrendered Maoists who have not passed Plus Two were enrolled in a six-month Bachelors Preparatory Programme (BPP) under IGNOU. After completion of the BPP, the youths will take admission in Bachelors Degree programmes, Meena said.
All the expenses for the BPP and Bachelors Degree programmes of the surrendered Maoists will be borne by the police.
This apart, children of the persons who have been displaced due to Maoist threat will be also be provided education and efforts are on to send them to Bhubaneswar-based KISS, he informed.
Malkangiri study centre coordinator of IGNOU Umesh Chandra Rout was also present.
Alert in district for ‘martyr week’
Malkangiri: Hundreds of tribal sympathisers of the Maoists and scores of top leaders from Andhra Pradesh held a public meeting at Gorasetu near Panasput observe the martyr week which began from Friday. The rebels reportedly paid homage to the killed leaders and urged the gathering to carry forward the Naxal movement, sources said. Security has been beefed up across the district and areas bordering AP and Chhattisgarh for the martyr week which is being observed by the outlawed CPI (Maoist) from July 28 to August 3. Vigil has been stepped up and combing operations in sensitive areas of Kalimela, MV 79, Motu, Podia, Chitrakonda, Bhejangiwada, Mathili, Khairput and other Maoist hotbeds have also been intensified, police sources said. Observation of martyr week is often fraught with violence since the rebels have attacked the police in the past due to which security has been tightened in all the sensitive places, police officials said. The Maoists have put up banners and posters at several areas in the district asking youths to celebrate martyr week and join the banned outfit. Maoists observe the week annually to remember their comrades who have fallen to police bullets.