New Delhi: The Telangana government is considering a proposal to provide free healthcare services to all former Maoist cadres for which health cards will be issued to them, ThePrint has learnt.
There is also a plan to increase the financial rehabilitation package to encourage more cadres to surrender their weapons.
The healthcare services are likely to be provided by the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) with the Hyderabad-based public hospital serving as a nodal agency for facilitating sustained treatment for the surrendered cadres, officials privy to the policy planning told ThePrint.
“The landmark, one-of-a-kind proposal was made by the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB), which has the overall responsibility of bringing about the surrender of the Maoist cadres and their rehabilitation into the mainstream, and it was sent to the government for approval,” one of the officials told ThePrint. “We are expecting the government to give its nod in the next few days.”
The proposal will cover nearly 600 cadres, who have surrendered since 2024. According to the official statistics, 721 Maoist cadres, including four members of the Central Committee, have surrendered in Telangana since 2024.
“In the first phase of the planned policy, the proposed health card is envisaged to be issued to about 420 cadres, whose identity and role in the Maoist outfit have been ratified by the police. There are some issues with the identification cards of some 40 cadres, which will be sorted out,” another government official told ThePrint.
The first phase will not cover the 130 cadres who surrendered last Saturday, but officials maintain that the group will not be left behind and will be brought into the system subsequently.
అన్యాయాన్ని ప్రశ్నించడానికి ఆయుధం అక్కర్లేదు…
ప్రజాస్వామ్యాన్ని మించిన మార్గం మరొకటి లేదు…
ఆయుధాలు వదిలి వనం నుంచి జనంలోకి వచ్చిన నక్సలైట్ సోదరులకు సాదర స్వాగతం.#TelanganaForPeace#PrajaPalana pic.twitter.com/D0W2mEgVpn
— Revanth Reddy (@revanth_anumula) March 8, 2026
Free medical treatment was one of the promises that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy made after the surrender of these 130 cadres. Additionally, he promised free houses under the Indiramma Illu Housing Scheme and financial assistance to construct houses in their native villages.
“The health cards will be valid for the rest of their lives, and they will be eligible for free treatment and surgeries at NIMS, Hyderabad, which will run as a nodal point. If some treatment options are not available there, they will be referred to higher centres for specialised treatment at no cost,” the second official said.
The health cards would be in addition to the checkups and treatment provided at the time of the surrender, government officials suggested.
However, the expenditure and the means of funding are yet to be finalised. “It may well be as part of the health budget but funding through the CM Relief Fund is also an option,” an official said.
Additionally, the Telangana Police has proposed increasing the financial rehabilitation package to up to four times the current amount, which is determined based on the rewards for a particular cadre before surrender and on their role, rank, and association with the outfit’s leadership.
“The new policy, once implemented, will make surrender more lucrative for whatever remains of the Maoist outfit in the state and the country overall. This will benefit the cadres from the states outside Telangana, too,” another government official said.
This rehabilitation package for surrendered cadres, both from and outside Telangana, differs from the policies of other states such as Odisha, which updated the terms of its surrender policy.
In Odisha, only cadres active within the state are eligible for the rehabilitation package, irrespective of their origin. For cadres originating in the state but active outside, they have to submit a no-objection certificate stating that they did not avail any benefits elsewhere, a step taken to stop any possible misuse of higher financial payouts.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
Also Read: To surrender or not? Rift that led Odisha’s top Maoist commander to murder deputy from Chhattisgarh