Bastar (Chhattisgarh): The Central government has moved four more paramilitary battalions to Chhattisgarh's Bastar district, making it a 40,000-strong CRPF deployment to get rid of the Naxalites in the area.
The four new battalions have arrived for the decisive final blow against the ultras as the CRPF recalled three battalions from Jharkhand and one from Bihar for deployment in Bastar. They will work in coordination with CRPF's Cobra units to build more forward operational bases.
The move comes after Union Home Minister, Amit Shah set a deadline of 2026 to end extremism in Chhattisgarh last month, which he announced at a press conference in Raipur.
The troops have been asked to conduct extensive domination of Naxalite areas, put bunkers in remote districts of Dantewada and Sukma, and the tri-border area with Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. The action would likely ensure security in the area, enable smooth governance and end naxal influence.
On August 25, Shah said that the Centre had adopted a "strong and ruthless" strategy to deliver a final blow against Naxals till 2026. He claimed naxal-related violence declined in the region by 53% during the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government rule since 2014.
Following his statement, the Centre sent 4 more CPRF battalions (4,000 troops) to the region in addition to already 36 battalions to make major headway towards meeting the goal in coordination with the state government.
According to reports, the central forces made at least 40 forward bases functional in Chhattisgarh since 2021, and are being supplied with all logistics support. Meanwhile, CRPF has demanded uninterrupted technology support and supply of resources for elimination operations amid a surge in killings in 2024.
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