24 Naxal surrender in Dantewada Bilaspur Airport upgraded to 3C category A 72-

Inanother achievement for the police, 24 Naxals, including 12 women, surrendered in Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-hit Dantewada district, police said on Wednesday. The cadres, active in the south Bastar region, surrendered before the police on the Republic Day on Tuesday, Dantewada SP Abhishek Pallava said. Of the rebels, 3 were carr ying a bounty of Rs1 lakh each on their heads, he said. The SP said the cadres expressed dissatisfaction with the “hollow” so-called Maoist ideology. The Naxals were highly impressed by the district police's 'Lon Varratu' (return to your home/village) rehabilitation campaign, prompting them to quit the violence, he said.

seater aircraf t will now be able to land at Bilasa Bai Kewtin Airport in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur district. With the initiative of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, the airport at Bilaspur has been upgraded to 3C category, a government statement said. The 2C licence of Bilaspur Airport was upgraded by the DG Office of the Civil Aviation Dept, Govt of India and a 3C categor y licence has been issued, an official communique said. As a result of upgradation to 3C categor y licence, 72-seater aircraf t can also land at the Bilaspur airport in Chakarbhatha. Earlier, due 2C categor y licence, only 40-seater aircraf t were permitted.