Concerned over the recent killings by suspected Naxalites in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, the Centre has convened a meeting of chief ministers of states affected by left-wing extremism in Delhi on September 19, to chalk out a new action plan to deal with the problem.

The meeting of chief ministers of nine Naxalite-affected states will be chaired by Home Minister Shivraj Patil, a Home Ministry spokesman said. Condemning the incident in a Jharkhand village, in which 15 people were killed on Monday, the spokesman said, "There has been local resistance by people against Naxalite violence in Chattisgarh and other states."

Observing that the Jharkhand incident was against members of a village defence committee, he said, "This is more out of desperation, because the Naxals feel threatened by the growing anti-Naxalite movement among the people". The Jharkhand attack had taken place within a week of a landmine blast near Bijapur in Chhattisgarh killing 24 policemen including 22 from CRPF.

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As many as 76 districts in nine states - Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and West Bengal - have been affected in varying degrees by left-wing extremism.

The Centre, official sources said, wanted a multi-pronged strategy to deal with Naxalism, including dialogue if the group concerned was willing to abjure violence and give up arms.

At the same time, it would continue to modernise police forces, better intelligence network and launch well-coordinated operations against Naxalite groups, the sources said, adding that attention will also be focussed on socio-economic development of backward areas and ways to redress public grievances in the affected places.

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