The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has established 229 forward operating bases (FOBs) in Naxal-affected areas since 2019, forming a cornerstone of the Indian government's strategy to eradicate Left Wing Extremism (LWE) by March 2026.

These bases, set up across six key states—Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Telangana—enable security forces to penetrate remote, forested strongholds previously dominated by Naxal groups.

This year alone, 59 FOBs have been constructed, the highest annual figure, with 32 in Chhattisgarh, nine each in Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh, four each in Maharashtra and Odisha, and one in Telangana.

The rollout has accelerated progressively: 40 bases in 2024, 27 in 2023, 48 in 2022, 29 in 2021, 18 in 2020, and eight in 2019.

In total, all Central Armed Police Forces have deployed 377 FOBs since 2019, including 74 this year, 71 in 2024, 51 in 2023, 66 in 2022, 51 in 2021, 40 in 2020, and 24 in 2019, as revealed by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai in a Rajya Sabha reply.

FOBs differ from temporary camps by serving as semi-permanent or permanent installations equipped with accommodation, communication systems, medical facilities, and logistical support, allowing prolonged deployments in insurgency-prone zones.

Their primary aims include extending state presence into interiors, denying safe havens to Naxal cadres, and achieving sustained area domination.

Positioned roughly five kilometres apart, these bases house company-sized units of over 100 personnel, facilitating mutual support during operations and deterring Naxal activity within a similar radius.

This network has drastically shortened response times, boosted intelligence gathering, enabled deeper patrols, and improved coordination with local police.

Moreover, FOBs safeguard development projects like road construction, mobile connectivity, and welfare schemes, fostering administrative control in once-inaccessible regions.

The expansion, especially in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh, has shrunk Naxal influence, reassured local populations, and isolated insurgents operationally.

Complementing these efforts is the National Policy and Action Plan on LWE, approved in 2015, which adopts a multi-pronged approach encompassing security measures, development interventions, and protection of local communities' rights.

Resolute implementation has yielded marked success: LWE violence incidents plummeted 89 per cent from 1,936 in 2010 to 218 in 2025, while civilian and security force deaths dropped 91 per cent from 1,005 to just 93.

Naxal-affected districts have contracted sharply—from 126 in April 2018 to 90 later that year, 70 by July 2021, 38 in April 2024, 18 in April 2025, and merely 11 by October 2025, with only three now deemed most affected.

To prevent resurgence, 27 districts remain classified as 'legacy and thrust' under the Security Related Expenditure scheme.

In 2025 up to 1 December, security forces neutralised 335 LWEs, arrested 942, and secured 2,167 surrenders, underscoring the momentum towards the 2026 elimination target.

This strategic deployment of FOBs exemplifies how persistent security infrastructure, paired with holistic policy execution, is reclaiming territory and diminishing the LWE threat to India's internal security.

Based On ANI Report