The Karnataka government is trying to secure the services of a special commando force being trained in guerrilla warfare at a defence establishment in Belgaum for operations against forest bandit Veerappan, Home Minister Mallikarjun Kharge said on Tuesday.

Kharge said the information gathered by the government suggested the commandos could undertake combing operations for a fortnight at a stretch, even in extreme weather conditions. The commandos are capable of surviving on a limited diet for a long time, he added.

He said the state government is talking to the Centre to get the latest 'gadgets' and the help of paramilitary forces to hunt down Veerappan. But Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is yet to respond to Chief Minister S M Krishna's plea to convene a meeting of the chief ministers of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala to work out a joint strategy to end the menace.

Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have stepped up operations in the forests, Kharge said. He, however, refused to give details.

Chief Justice N K Jain of the Karnataka high court will also be requested to appoint a judge to head the inquiry into the death of Janata Dal United leader H Nagappa, who was killed in Veerappan's custody. Nagappa's body was found in the Changdi forest on December 8.