Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that 577 personnel of the Central Armed Police Personnel (CAPFs) died due to heart attack and ailments in Naxal-affected areas in the last five years. Sharing the data, Rai said 297 CRPF personnel, 108 of CISF, 76 of CISF, 74 of ITBP, 22 of SSB have died since 2019. “In CRPF, 45 personnel died in 2019, 63 in 2020, 73 in 2021, 62 in 2022, and 54 in 2023; while in the BSF, 22 died in 2019, 21 in 2020, 22 in 2021, 21 in 2022, and 22 in 2023. From CISF, eight personnel died in 2019, 25 in 2020, 14 in 2021, 15 in 2022 and 14 in 2023,” he said. The CISF personnel deployed in Naxal-affected areas for providing security cover to important government buildings, including those of public sector undertakings, etc. Rai further said that eight ITBP personnel died in 2019, 15 in 2020, 17 in 2021, 15 in 2022 and 19 in 2023. From the SSB, one personnel died in 2019, six in 2020, three in 2021, five in 2022 and seven in 2023. “No specific unusual causes of heart attack and illness in naxal-affected areas have been observed,” Rai said. Rai said the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) violence incidents have reduced by 73 per cent since 2010. “The resultant deaths – civilians and security forces – have reduced by 86 per cent from all time high in 2010 to 2023. Till May 30 this year, there has been a sharp reduction of 32 per cent in LWE-perpetrated incidents and 17 per cent in the resultant deaths of civilians and security force personnel in comparison to the figures of corresponding period of 2023,” he added. “The geographical spread of LWE violence has also constricted substantially with reduction of LWE-affected districts from 126 across 10 states in 2013 to only 38 districts across nine states in 2024. The number of police stations reporting LWE-related violence has significantly reduced from 465 police stations in 2010 to 171 police stations in 2023. Till June, the LWE violence was reported from 89 police stations,” Rai said. He said Under Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS), the Centre approved projects worth Rs 991.4 crore have been approved during 2017-21 for upgrading and strengthening of Special Force (state police) [SFs/Special Intelligence Branches (SIBs)] and for construction of 250 Fortified Police Station (FPS) in LWE-affected areas.
