CMs of Naxal-hit states to meet on June 5 chalkout strategy

Chief ministers of Naxal-affected states will meet in New Delhi on June 5 to formulate strategy on how to check unabated violence by Maoists and tackle the menace.

The special session of nine chief ministers will be held on the sideline of the chief ministers conference on internal security convened by the Union home ministry next week.

Chief ministers of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal will discuss threadbare the issue with Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and other top security officers.

The Centre is expected to take consent from the chief ministers for launching an all-out anti-Naxal operation involving specialised forces like CoBRA and Andhra Pradesh's Greyhounds simultaneously in all Naxal-affected states to wipe out the extremists from their strongholds.

The renewed effort for the all-out offensive against the Maoists is necessitated following killing of 27 people, including Congress leaders, by Naxals in Jagdalpur on May 25.

Sources said even though the Maoists carried out the audacious strike last week, they were on the backfoot even in areas like Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra, some areas in Odisha and security forces in these states were coordinating with each other to fight the Naxals.

"There is inter-border movement of Maoists. This is such terrain -- Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha -- where there is poor communication. So, they often sneak into another state from one state. Our aim is to intensify the operations with close coordination of state forces as well central forces," a source said.

Image: A paramilitary soldier patrols a Naxal-affected area in Chhattisgarh

Photograph: Reuters