Bhubaneswar, Aug 16 (IANS): A day after the country celebrated 75th Independence Day, three hardcore Maoists from Chhattisgarh, carrying a total cash awards of Rs 9 lakh on their heads, have surrendered before Odisha police on Monday.

The three ultras -- Lakma Madvi, Ganga Madkam and Suka Sodi surrendered here before the Police DG Abhay. All the surrendered cadres belong to Kodanga-Mahanadi-Sanjukta Area Committee operating under KKBN Division of Odisha State Committee of CPI - Maoist, Abhay said.

The group of these three cadres had been specifically deployed by the outfit to resurrect Mahanadi Area Committee to activate north Kandhamal and adjoining axis, which was moribund since 2018, he said.

They have preferred to surrender and join the mainstream in the light of the appeal of the Odisha government to surrender and join the mainstream society and be a part of the developmental initiatives and the proactive surrender and rehabilitation policy, the DGP said.

Both Lakma and Ganga also carried a cash reward of Rs 4 lakh each on their head while Rs 1 lakh cash reward was there on Suka's head, a police official said.

The surrender of these three cadres of CPI (Maoist) will give a serious blow to the Maoist plan and designs in north Kandhamal and adjoining axis and their plan to revive the north Mahanadi corridor up to Saranda of Jharkhand State will fall flat, the police officials said.