Phased Withdrawal From Maoist Zones On The Cards From Late April, CRPF To Anchor Grid | Exclusive

Last Updated:February 18, 2026, 09:22 IST

A detailed area-wise roadmap is being prepared to ensure that the transition does not create security gaps or allow any resurgence of Maoist activity

The Centre is preparing a calibrated exit plan for security forces deployed in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) theatre, with phased withdrawals expected to begin from the last week of April, according to senior government sources.

If the roadmap proceeds as scheduled, most Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), including the BSF and ITBP, will gradually move out of LWE theatres after the March 30 internal deadline set for finalising the plan. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), however, will remain deployed in the region, though its role is expected to undergo a strategic shift.

A periodic review will be done, and second round of exit plan will be executed. The same process will be followed till all forces make an exit from the theatre.

Sources said the withdrawal will not be abrupt. Instead, forces will exit in carefully sequenced phases, with priority districts identified for the first round of redeployment.

A detailed area-wise roadmap is being prepared to ensure that the transition does not create security gaps or allow any resurgence of Maoist activity.

The move comes as the government pivots toward a development-centric approach in India’s shrinking Naxal-affected belt. Officials said teams will soon begin field visits to interior villages to conduct surveys, identify infrastructure gaps and draw up a structured development programme for the next financial year. The long-term goal is to transition from a purely combat-driven posture to a model combining security stabilisation with rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Government data shows a sharp contraction in the LWE footprint over the past decade. The number of LWE-affected districts has fallen from 126 in 2018 to just eight by December 2025, with only three classified as “most affected". Violence has declined by 88 per cent since its peak in 2010, while civilian and security force deaths have dropped by 90 per cent, reflecting sustained security.

Officials stressed that troop reductions will be incremental and condition based. Security deployments will continue in sensitive pockets even as force levels are rationalised. “The idea is stability first, withdrawal later," a senior official said, adding that the CRPF will anchor the revised security grid while other forces gradually hand over responsibilities.

The phased exit is being framed internally not as a retreat, but as a milestone in the government’s stated objective of a Naxal-free India by March 2026.

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