Widespread resentment has emerged among local youths over the low number of vacancies assigned for constable recruitment under the Bastar Fighter initiative. Around one thousand aspirants mobilized together to register their strong opposition against the current distribution. Candidates pointed out that the administration had formally cleared 1588 positions across the board for the Bastar Fighter drive. However, official correspondence dated September 26, 2026 from the office of the Inspector General of Police for Bastar Range shows that although 199 positions remain unoccupied within Bastar district itself, recruitment has been proposed for merely 79 spots.
Years of Preparation Meet Disproportionate Allocations
The aggrieved applicants emphasized that neighboring regions received much larger allotments while Bastar was left with negligible openings. Yashoda Baghel, who has spent the last three years living in a rented room in Jagdalpur to train for the exam, explained that coping with extreme household hardships without any earning member has made the journey arduous. She observed that adjacent districts have seen allocations crossing 300 openings, standing in stark contrast to Bastar’s mere 79 vacancies. Candidates have cautioned authorities that they will sit on an indefinite strike unless the administration heeds their demands.
Reservation Breakup and Demands for Reform
Highlighting the prolonged wait of aspirants, Dilip Kashyap, who has been preparing for five to six years after completing his Class 12 education, raised concerns over the structural quota distribution. He noted that the existing notification reserves 30 percent of openings for Agniveers, 25 percent for Nagar Sainiks, and 5 percent for ex-servicemen. With 60 percent of seats already earmarked under these special categories, only a negligible fraction remains open for regular general applicants. To resolve this imbalance, the protesting youths have demanded that Bastar district's quota be substantially increased to at least a 60 percent proportion, or that authorities execute the recruitment on a division-wide level rather than fracturing seats by district.
