About 200–300 police recruitment aspirants continued their protest for a fourth consecutive day outside the residence of Chhattisgarh Home Minister Vijay Sharma in Kawardha on Monday, pressing the state government to issue a second selection list and fill 1,940 vacant posts from a recent recruitment exercise.
Protesters camp despite rain, demand clarity on vacant posts
The aspirants, who have set up temporary shelters outside the minister's house, said they have been waiting months for the supplementary list. They reported cooking their meals on site and sleeping in the open, even as heavy rain lashed Kawardha during the last few days.
Protesters allege that administrative changes during the recruitment drive, including selections made in different districts and alterations to the selection process, resulted in a large number of vacancies. They want the government to publish a fresh selection list to cover the remaining posts and to ensure all authorised vacancies are filled.
"We demand that all the posts should be filled. There are 200 to 300 of us here, and today is the fourth consecutive day of our protest. We spoke to the minister, but he is delaying the matter in the name of the Cabinet," said one aspirant, identifying herself as Sumitra Netam.
Another protester, named Neha, said the minister had met them but focused on political matters rather than addressing their specific request. "We are not doing politics. Just fill the vacant posts, and we will leave," she said, describing financial hardship as families and protesters borrow money to sustain the agitation.
Numbers and claims
The protesters say that of 5,967 posts announced under the police recruitment drive, 1,940 remain unfilled. Several aspirants from different districts have gathered in Kawardha, seeking a transparent explanation for the shortfall and a timetable for issuance of the second selection list.
| Total posts announced | Vacant posts (claimed) | Protesters at Kawardha |
|---|---|---|
| 5,967 | 1,940 | 200–300 |
What protesters say they have endured
- Camps set up outside the minister's residence and continuous presence for four days.
- Cooking and sleeping at the protest site, including women claiming inadequate arrangements.
- Financial strain as families contribute money and some protesters borrow to remain at the site.
Mahesh Kumar Markam, an aspirant from Kondagaon, said he had returned to Kawardha hoping the second list would be published and that the remaining 1,940 vacancies would be filled. Protesters declared their intention to continue the agitation until the government provides a satisfactory response.
Official response and next steps
So far, there is no publicly available statement from the Home Ministry or the state government detailing a timeline for issuing a second selection list or an explanation of the recruitment irregularities alleged by the aspirants. Protesters said the minister met them but that discussions did not resolve their central demand.
The impasse raises two immediate administrative issues for the state: one, the operational impact of leaving nearly two thousand police posts vacant in a state administration context; and two, the procedural clarity required in large-scale recruitment so that candidates receive a transparent account of selection and vacancy management.
For now, the protest in Kawardha remains a continuing demonstration of frustration among job-seekers who want the supplementary selection list issued and vacant posts filled. The aspirants have publicly vowed to sustain the agitation until the government addresses their demand.
WE NEWS will seek comment from the Home Minister's office and the state recruitment authority for updates on the status of the second list and any planned administrative action.
