CRPF moves in over 4,000 troops in Chhattisgarh for decisive action

The CRPF is moving in four battalions comprising more than 4,000 personnel in the worst Naxalviolence affected areas of Bastar in Chhattisgarh as part of a strategy to launch a "decisive battle" to match the Union government's latest resolve of ending the Maoist problem by March 2026.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while declaring this deadline in the Chhattisgarh capital of Raipur last month, emphasised that a "strong and ruthless" plan of action was required to rid the country of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) - once termed the country's biggest internal security threat.

Official sources said the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) the lead internal security and anti-Naxal operations force in the country withdrew three battalions from Jharkhand and one from Bihar for deployment in the Bastar region, about 450-500 kilometres south of Raipur.

It was felt that the Naxal violence situation in these two states had improved and incidents were negligible. Hence, these battalions can be better utilised in Chhattisgarh, where the anti-Naxal operations are now concentrated, they said.