CRPF opens two new Forward Operating Bases in Chhattisgarh to scale up anti-Maoist operations

New Delhi [India]: To scale up anti-Maoist operations, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) recently opened two new Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in its bastion in the deep forested Naxal-hit state of Chhattisgarh, said officials in the paramilitary force.

These new establishments will help the CRPF to penetrate deeper into the forested areas affected by the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) or Naxals to improve road connectivity and facilitate other Central schemes.

These FOBs, the CRPF officials said, were constructed almost three months ago in the Elmagonda and Potakpally areas of Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district.

CRPF Director General Kuldiep Singh on Tuesday visited these two FOBs established in the heavily Maoist-infested remote region of Chhattisgarh and reviewed the operational preparedness of the force. The DG also commended the CRPF brave hearts for the valour displayed while bravely serving the motherland.

With the opening of these two FOBs, the number of total such camps established since 2020 is 63, mentions CRPF data.

Officials said that the CRPF has targeted to open 25 FOBs in Naxal-hit states this year.

These establishments will increase the reach of the force and the Centre’s schemes in nearly four dozen districts in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana, which have been facing the menace for decades.

The move to set up maximum FOBs is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) target to root out the decade-old Maoist issue.

Of the 25 ‘Forward Operating Bases’, ten will be established in Chhattisgarh, seven in Maharashtra, six in Jharkhand, and one each in Odisha and Telangana, an official in the force told ANI.

“It’s almost a five-year-old scheme on which we are working,” the officer added.

The FOBs are the places from where troops move around in the field as per the operational schedule and return back there to take a rest. These FOBs are mostly built in pucca structures with the capacity to occupy more than two companies.

On many occasions, another official said, other security forces like state police forces are provided logistic support in these FOBs.

Meanwhile, the official said, these FOBs helped the security forces to conduct various operations. (ANI)