Guwahati: A new rehabilitation policy for surrendered militants in the Northeast with almost doubled stipend will come into force from next month, Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju said in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

The monthly stipend for a surrendered militant has been revised from Rs 3,500 to Rs 6,000 and the one-time grant from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 4 lakh, including more incentives for the weapons surrendered by them. This comes following requests by the state governments as well as militant groups which laid down their arms and are in ceasefire with the government.

A surrender-cum-rehabilitation scheme for the Northeast militants is in force since April 1998. Many, however, said the stipend offered under the scheme needed revision as cadres of many outfits were resorting to crimes like extortion as the amount offered by the government had not been revised for years.

"The scheme was aimed at weaning away the misguided youths and hardcore militants who have strayed into the fold of militancy and find themselves trapped in that net. The scheme also seeks to ensure that the militants who have surrendered do not find it attractive to join militancy again," an official statement said.

The statement said Assam had spent Rs 7.53 crore for rehabilitation of surrendered militants since 2014-15. Manipur spent Rs 1.19 crore and Tripura Rs 1.38 crore.

From the Ulfa to NDFB and Adivasi militant groups in Assam and several in Manipur, Meghalaya and Nagaland, who are in ceasefire and living in designated camps according to the ground rules, have demanded that the stipend be increased to cater to rising prices and prevent youths from returning to militancy.

It said the number of surrendered militants in the Northeast has decreased from 1,195 in 2012 to 130 last year.

The statement said at least 640 militants surrendered in 2013, followed by 965 in 2014, 143 in 2015, 267 in 2016 and three till February this year.