Union Home Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh commissioned the unit on May 21, 2018. Bastariya battalion who will be acknowledged a 241 Bastariya Battalion of CRPF is a very smart, much needed and a very effective move by central government to counter Left-wing extremism or naxalism.
Commission of Bastar Battalion will solve the very core problems of the CRPF in the fight of naxalism and peace in Central and Eastern India. CRPF was deploying men and women who are not aware about the area and threats presented by enemy, an aware soldier is equal to a dead soldier.
Those deployments had a very heavy cost in form of heavy casualties of CRPF and local police but government has decided to recruit local combatants from Sukma, Dantevada, Narayanpur and Bijapur.
The local people in the fold will enhance operational capabilities of the CRPF by breaking the language barrier and understanding of culture and geographical conditions. Language barrier had played major role in obstructing intelligence gathering which will be sorted as well as public relations will get nourishment.
The battalion will have 534 troop including 189 women at the day of commissioning after getting trained for 44 weeks in Jungle Warfare, Map reading, Weapon firing, Police laws and unarmed combat techniques. They will be deployed in red zones immediately after commission.