The Lok Sabha will on Monday discuss “efforts to free the country from Left-wing extremism”, a day before the Centre’s March 31 deadline to eliminate Naxalism ends amid growing concern over the rehabilitation of the insurgents laying down arms.

Since 2024, over two dozen senior rebels have been gunned down by security forces and several key leaders and their supporters have surrendered, especially in Chhattisgarh.

Between 2024 and March 26 this year, 16,496 Maoists have surrendered, with 2,337 laying down arms last year.

Sources in the security establishment said rehabilitation and reintegration of surrendered Maoists, lured by the government’s cash incentives, could be a Herculean task for the administration. The fresh challenge, officials said, is to ensure their security and prevent social stigma from stalling their integration into the mainstream.

The Centre has listed the discussion under Rule 193 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha in which there is no need for a formal motion or voting. The short-duration discussion under the rule requires a reply by the government.

The notice for the discussion has been submitted by TDP MP Byreddy Shabari and Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde. Home minister Amit Shah is expected to reply to the notice and provide an overview of the government’s efforts to eliminate Naxalism.

A security official attached to the home ministry said the Chhattisgarh government and the security forces would need the help of NGOs, community leaders and civil rights groups for the rehabilitation process. “Healthcare and employment for the surrendered Maoists should be the top priority,” the official said.

According to him, nearly 210 Maoists who had surrendered in October last year had been put up in camps of the CRPF’s Cobra battalion while the rest were at the Counter Terrorism and Jungle Warfare College in Kanker.

“The Chhattisgarh government has planned to set up a new colony called the ‘Naxalite Rehab Cell’ on a six-acre plot,” the official said.

Surrendered Maoists, he said, face a constant threat from active Maoist groups, while society stigmatises them as they try to rebuild their lives.

The revised surrender-cum-rehabilitation scheme provides financial aid, skill development training and housing support to former cadres. The policy also offers higher compensation, free education, healthcare and job opportunities to the victims of Maoist violence.

Government sources indicated that “back-channel talks” with some rebel groups were on and were aimed at driving a wedge between Maoist factions.

A former BSF director-general said the immediate priority for the government should be to win the hearts of the surrendered Maoists rather than focusing on increasing numbers. “Often in the past, the police would pick up innocent tribal youths and parade them as surrendered Maoists,” the former DGP said.

Sources in the home ministry said the number of rebel-hit districts in the country had come down to seven, with three of them — Bijapur, Narayanpur and Sukma in Chhattisgarh — remaining in the “most affected category”.

A total of 7,409 Maoists were arrested between 2019 and January 15, 2026, while another 5,880 surrendered during this period.

The crackdown on the funding of Maoists has also dealt a blow to the movement, with the NIA seizing ₹40 crore and state authorities seizing another ₹40 crore. The Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth ₹12 crore over the past few years.