State Police Chief Loknath Behera has said that the government has taken a policy wherein Maoist activists can surrender before the police with arms.
Speaking to mediapersons here on Saturday after a mega adalat of the Police Department in the district, Mr. Behera said that if any Maoist activist surrendered before the police with arms, the police would look after the activist and his family.
He said the police would take action against atrocities on tribal people.
The Janamaithri police would intensify awareness programmes among tribal people against the increasing drug abuse in tribal settlements, he said.
“It is learnt that in several tribal groups, girls get married before 18 years as per tribal custom and the youth who marry them get imprisoned under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. This is a complicated issue and amendment to existing law was needed to solve the issue,’’ he said.
An apex body was constituted by coordinating senior officials of various departments to solve the issues related to tribal people, he said. A meeting of the body would be convened on February 1, Mr. Behera said.
