The move of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to recast the surrender policy for Pakistan-backed terrorists and dole out a sum of Rs 6 lakh to each one of them at the time of surrender has been blocked by the BJP, a coalition partner in the PDP-led government in Jammu and Kashmir. The amount of Rs 6 lakh proposed for surrendered terrorists was Rs 1 lakh more than the amount of Rs 5 lakh being given as relief to kin of those killed by terrorists or in shelling by Pakistan Army.

The proposal to recast the existing surrender policy was piloted by Mehbooba in a meeting of the state cabinet held here on Tuesday evening. However, sensing further erosion of its political base in the Jammu division if the proposal was allowed to be passed, BJP ministers in the cabinet put their foot down and did not let Mehbooba have her way on the contentious issue.

Mehbooba had in the new policy proposed a substantial jump of Rs 4.5 lakh over the policy of 2004 in which the amount was Rs 1.5 lakh. The financial benefits for terrorists were withdrawn in the surrender policy recast in 2010 when the National Conference-Congress coalition government headed by Omar Abdullah was in power.

Mehbooba not only proposed to enhance the one time financial bonanza, but also substantially increase the incentives for the weapons laid down by terrorists during the surrender. The incentive for surrendering a sniper rifle was Rs 25,000 in the policy of 2004, which has been proposed to be increased to Rs 1 lakh. The incentive for AK-rifle has been proposed to be enhanced to Rs 50,000 from the earlier Rs 15,000.

The current strategy of terrorists has been to snatch rifles from state police personnel and use them for targeting the security forces. The surrender policy announced in 2004 created a countrywide controversy when it was alleged that the state government was providing undue financial benefits to terrorists instead of assisting the unemployed youth.

Observers feel the PDP, which was facing political crisis in the Kashmir valley, has in a way tried to thrown open the coffers to please those engaged in terrorism. It was proposed to hike the incentive for each surrendered bullet to Rs 100 from the earlier amount of Rs 3 per bullet.

The incentive for each surrendered landmine was proposed to be increased to Rs 20,000 from the earlier Rs 3,000. Similarly, the terrorists would get a sum of Rs 10,000 for each surrendered Improvised Explosive Device (IED) against the earlier Rs 1,000.

Mehbooba had reportedly proposed that the cash incentive of Rs 6 lakh would be kept in the bank as fixed deposit for 10 years and the surrendered terrorist would get a monthly interest of Rs 4,000 or so till maturity of the FD that could be encashed if the CID declared his good conduct. Besides, several other incentives, including skill training, were also proposed for surrendered terrorists.

The surrender policy of 2010 had withdrawn all special incentives but offered that those who had gone to POK or Pakistan between January 1, 1989, and December 31, 2009, and their dependents who had a change of heart and were willing to return would be eligible for resettlement under the policy.