Chhattisgarh budget proposes 1,500 more Bastar Fighters ahead of March 31 deadline

RAIPUR: Even as Centre and Chhattisgarh push towards its March 31 target of declaring the state Naxal-free, the 2026–27 budget has proposed 1,500 additional Bastar Fighter posts, indicating that the security grid will remain strong through the transition phase.The locally recruited force, drawn largely from tribal youth, has been a key component of anti-Naxal operations due to its familiarity with terrain and village networks. Over the years, the force has been deployed alongside district police and DRG units in interior operations, intelligence gathering and area domination exercises across Bastar division.With the fresh induction, the government appears keen to prevent any security vacuum in remote pockets where Maoist presence has thinned but not fully disappeared.The move is being seen as part of a broader strategy of pairing development expansion with continued security presence, especially in Bastar and adjoining districts, as the state moves towards its endgame against Left Wing Extremism