Kolkata: Armed militancy by Left wing extremists - People's War and Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) - was posing a serious threat to internal security, with the West Bengal Government trying to counter it by using the paramilitary and police for intensive combing and patrol of affected areas, Governor Viren J Shah today (Feb 26, 2004) said.

These extremist groups who believed in armed revolution and violence had their main area of operation in the neighbouring States of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Jharkhand and Bihar, Shah said in his address to the Assembly on the opening day of the Budget session.

The People's War and MCC, he said, had made some inroads into West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia districts of the State.

The West Bengal Government, he said, was trying to counter the extremist menace by intensifying combing and patrolling by paramilitary and the local police, besides taking up specific development projects aimed at improving the condition of the tribal population in those areas.

He, however, said that the problem could not be effectively tackled unless the neighbouring States dealt with them with determination and a clear-cut strategy.