Naxal threat: PM convenes meet, 5 states on alert

Prime minister Manmohan Singh has reportedly convened a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security at 5 pm on Tuesday to discuss the growing threat of Naxal terror in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Jharkhand.

The meeting has been requisitioned at the request of the Home Minister P Chidambaram, who spoke to the prime minister following the brazen attack where Naxalities blew up a bus killing 50 in the Dantewada district of Chattisgarh on Monday.

Chhatisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh is arriving in Delhi on Tuesday afternoon to meet Chidambaram and discuss the Dantewada attack. His inputs will also be used by the home ministry for the high-level meeting convened by the PM later in the day.

The home ministry has also issued a high alert in five Naxal-affected states in view of the 48-hour bandh called by Maoists.

Sources in the prime minister's office said that Dr Singh is concerned about the developments in the Naxal-affected states.

Cabinet Committee on Security is expected to take up home minister's request to revisit the 'limited mandate' given to him by the committee.

Chidambaram, during his conversation with a group of journalists, had said that the chief ministers of the Naxal-affected states wanted air support to transfer the security forces from one place to another to chase the fleeing Naxals and an increase the number of central forces. Most of the states want 70 companies each, while at present, the home minister has the power to send only 24 companies.