Over 200 Criminals Give Up Arms Before Nitish Kumar
Patna: March 22, 2006
Lead a life of crime, surrender, bring in guns and rifles and hope the government pays you a hefty lump sum amount along with a fixed monthly income, even possibly a house under Indira Awaas Yojana.
That's the carrot the Nitish government is dangling in the hope of reducing the crime number in the state. Whether it will work in the long run or not can be debated and remains to be seen, on Tuesday, more than 200 criminals, some very hardened, laid their arms down before Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Supaul and Madhepura districts to lead a crime-free life from this moment onward.
In Supaul district, more than 130 criminals surrendered with arms while in Madhepura nearly 100 criminals, including murderers and extortionists, turned in their weapons in the hope of leaving their crime world behind and begin a new, crime-free chapter in their lives.
Many of these criminals had been on the police's wanted list for much long, state Director General of Police (DGP) Ashish Ranjan Sinha said.
The ceremony included a prayer and then a vow to relinquish the life of crime and weapons once and for all after which the Chief Minister congratulated them for turning a new leaf in their lives.
The government has promised to give Rs. 10,000 to each criminal who surrendered on Tuesday plus an assistance of Rs 3,000 per month. The government would also give various cash rewards ranging from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 25,000 for surrendering weapons of various kinds and calibers while also promising to offer a house under the Indira Awaas Yojna and free education up to high school for two children.
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