Chhattisgarh: CRPF undertakes blood test campaign for locals in remote LWE-hit areas

New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) CRPF bases in the remote Maoist affected areas of Chhattisgarh have launched a massive blood testing campaign for the locals and tribals to understand the diseases and deficiencies prevalent amongst them.

The initiative was mooted during an anti-Naxal operations and development review meeting held a few months back by Union home minister Amit Shah following his declaration in state capital Raipur that India will see the end of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) by March, 2026.

A senior officer told PTI that around 40 remote centres, called the Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), have been created by the force in the LWE-affected districts of Sukma, Bijapur, Bastar and Gariyaband over the last three years.

These bases have been asked to launch a special drive to undertake blood tests and other medical examination among the villagers, forest-dwellers and tribals in their respective areas of operations to understand the "prevalence of diseases and other deficiencies" in these communities, he said.

Each FOB has been asked to take blood samples of at least 30-40 locals while the Bijapur, Konta, Sukma and Dantewada ranges of the force have been directed to test 500 villagers each apart from recording their basic health parameters like blood sugar levels etc.

A team of doctors and paramedics from the force have been mobilised for this task. At some locations, the Chhattisgarh Police too will hold such camps, a second officer posted in Raipur said.

The tests are more or less completed in most of the regions and a report will soon be submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and to the state government, he said.

"The aim of the drive is to identify the health issues of locals in these remote areas and provide them the required medical or other remedy.

"This is part of the the Union government's two-pronged strategy to not only undertake armed operations against the Naxals but also initiate development and welfare works for the locals," the second officer quoted above said.

Officials said once the report is analysed at the top, the CRPF field hospitals will be tasked to provide the necessary medical assistance to the locals.

Home Minister Shah declared last year that the country will see the end of Naxalism by March, 2026. The CRPF is the largest force in these areas for conducting operations against armed Maoist cadres and it has deployed close to a lakh personnel for this task.

In Chhattisgarh, the force is opening more and more FOBs in order to expand the reach of the security forces and administration so that the influence of Maoists in remote areas weans away.

Four fresh battalions comprising more than 4,000 personnel were inducted for anti-Maoist operations by the CRPF in Chhattisgarh last year. These units will be used to open more FOBs and bolster the presence of the force in the Bastar region. PTI NES TIR TIR