The Centre plans to shift its focus to containing insurgency in the North East after achieving its target of ending left-wing extremism in the country.
Officials said the Centre plans to redistribute forces from LWE-affected areas to insurgency-hit states of Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland, aiming to achieve the mission by 2029.
The realignment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) is likely to begin after the culmination of the ongoing assembly elections in West Bengal and the Amarnath Yatra.
Over the next few months, select units trained in guerrilla warfare will shift to the Northeast, with officials confirming the withdrawal from LWE-affected areas will be calibrated.
Government data shows a sharp decline in insurgency-related violence over the past decade, with a majority of incidents and casualties linked to ethnic strife in Manipur.
The deployment of forces will start with Manipur, where the insurgency is a bigger challenge in comparison to the NE states.
The Centre has also tasked the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) with planning a systemic crackdown on narcotics trade in the region, as the narco trade is being used to fund insurgents.
