Security panel to discuss J&K

A meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security later this week will discuss the situation in Jammu and Kashmir "threadbare," but don't expect a miracle soon, said prime minister Manmohan Singh.

A meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) later this week will discuss the situation in Jammu and Kashmir "threadbare," but don't expect a miracle soon, said prime minister Manmohan Singh.

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"I will not be pulling out a rabbit out of the hat," Singh said.

The PM said the rise in militancy is a matter of concern and urged the police to come up with non-lethal mechanisms of crowd control.

According to Singh, transferring more responsibilities to the state police would be key to bringing the situation under control.

"We have to be patient as it's an old problem."

The PM reiterated his earlier statement that Maoism is the biggest internal security threat and the government has a two-pronged approach to deal with it.

"The Naxalite problem has become more menacing," he said, adding that the law and order situation in these areas would have to improve.

Asked whether he supported Home Minister P Chidambaram's approach, the PM said the home minister was doing exceedingly well in his job.

Explaining a statement of Chidambaram that he only had a limited mandate to deal with the Maoist threat, the PM said: "Yes, primarily it's a job of the state government. But the Centre should support the state and we are doing that."