New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) today (Sep 15, 2004) discussed various aspects of the Naxalite problem and the approach to be adopted by the Centre to deal with it at a conference of Chief Ministers of Naxalite-affected States on September 21.

The meeting of Chief Ministers of Naxalism-hit States has been convened by Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said after a 75-minute CCS meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"We discussed the approach to be taken in the Chief Ministers' Conference to deal with Naxalite movement and left wing extremism," he said.

Mukherjee said it was thought that broadly the general approach should be not only to deal with the law enforcement machinery, that is policing, but also consider aspects relating to comprehensive development of the affected areas, especially the tribal areas. No other issue came up at today's CCS meeting, Mukherjee added.

Except External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh, who is outside the country, Mukherjee, Patil and Finance Minister P Chidambaram attended the meeting.

Andhra Pradesh Government, which has lifted the ban on People's War Group (PWG), recently initiated talks with it to find a solution to the long-standing problem.

Besides Andhra Pradesh, the States affected by Naxalism include Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh.