Chidambaram meets chiefs of paramilitary forces

As the government is drawing up plans to launch a major offensive against the Maoists, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday held meetings with chiefs of two paramilitary forces -- Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Border Security Force (BSF) -- and discussed their preparedness in the Naxal-affected states.

As the government is drawing up plans to launch a major offensive against the Maoists, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday held meetings with chiefs of two paramilitary forces -- Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Border Security Force (BSF) -- and discussed their preparedness in the Naxal-affected states.

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Home Ministry sources said Chidambaram had separate meetings with Director General of CRPF A S Gill and BSF chief M L Kumawat and discussed with them operational issues of the two forces.

The meetings came two days after Chidambaram's declaration that a joint action plan was being drawn up in the Naxal-affected states.

"Today they (Naxalites) pose a grave challenge ... We are preparing to take on the challenge. Details cannot be disclosed now," he said.

Around 35,000 personnel of CRPF are now engaged in anti-Naxal operations mostly in worst-affected Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and Bihar.

The Centre is also planning to deploy BSF personnel in offensives against the Maoists.

The Home Minister is also in close touch with chief ministers of the Naxal-affected states and would hold a meeting with them in August to discuss ways to counter the Left-wing extremism, which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had described as the biggest threat to country's internal security.