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Bangalore: A high-level meeting on June 21 reviewed the action plan of the Special Task Force (STF) to nab the elusive forest brigand Veerappan and decided to tighten security during the tours of VIPs in the districts of Chamarajnagar, Mysore and Mandya.

The meeting chaired by Chief Minister S M Krishna decided to exercise "highest form of vigilance" in the operations to nab the bandit and to streamline the STF action plan.

All vacancies in the police force of Chamarajnagar and Mysore, the areas of Veerappan's operations, as also in the neighbouring Mandya district would be filled up, an official statement said, adding SAT (satellite) phones would also be provided to the STF.

The meeting, it said, decided to alert the VIPs about their security precautions and tighten up security measures whenever they toured in the districts of Mysore, Chamarajnagar and Mandya.

It also sanctioned additional STF personnel, enhanced the allowances being given to the STF men and decided that the forest staff should function in tandem with the STF.

In his speech, Krishna told the meeting that the task of bringing Veerappan to book needed to be done with immense patience and this should be done with complete co-ordination between the police and forest staff and the local people.

He also said the STF should have a rapport with the Tamil Nadu STF.

PTI