Sunday, February 13 2005 15:58 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: Asserting that talks with naxalites would be held only if they laid down arms, Karnataka Chief Minister N Dharam Singh today (Feb 13, 2005) said a team of home department and police officials will visit Hyderabad this week to learn from Andhra Pradesh's experience in tackling the naxal menace.

"We are ready for talks but they should stop using weapons," he told reporters in Bangalore after reviewing with top home department and police officials the situation in the aftermath of massacre of policemen by naxals at Venkamannahalli of Pavagada taluk bordering Andhra Pradesh on Thursday night.

The first major strike by armed naxals came close on the heels of police shooting down a top naxal leader Saketh Rajan and his associate in an encounter in Chikmagalur district early last week.

Singh said a team of officials headed by Home Secretary Brahmadatt would visit Hyderabad in the next two to three days and discuss a whole range of issues to tackle the naxals.

He came down heavily on intellectuals who support the naxal movement saying, "we cannot tolerate" their insistence on holding talks with naxals when they were carrying weapons.

"While it is the responsibility of the Government to solve social problems, they (should) also come to us, discuss and contribute for solving social problems in these regions."

Stating that the spread of naxalism was also due to the socio economic conditions in all the districts bordering Andhra Pradesh, he said, the next Cabinet meet would discuss the report of Development Commissioner Chiranjeevi Singh and come out with an implementable plan to address issues raised in the report on developmental issues in naxal affected areas.

Singh said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil had promised all help to the State in tackling naxalites.

The police had beefed up security in the districts bordering Andhra Pradesh, he said.

He said the Government, which had held three rounds of talks with the naxals, was open for talks but not until they gave up weapons.

DIG (Central Range) Shankar Bidari said the police had lodged a case of instigating the naxalites under section 120 (B1) against Andhra naxal leaders Vara Vara Rao and Gadhar in the Pavagada police station.

Chiranjeevi Singh said his report had suggested various developmental schemes that address local issues in the naxal affected areas.

He said the State forest department had sought Rs 60 crore from the Centre to rehabilitate people in the Kudremukh National Park and the project would be implemented once the funds were sanctioned.