The West Bengal government will press for additional central forces for combating the ultra left extremist activities in the State, Chief Secretary A.M. Chakraborti said.
Talking to journalists at the secretariat on the eve of his departure to New Delhi for a meeting with the Centre on the Maoist menace, he said : “We will talk about additional forces as well as a few other things—I will say a few more things.”
On the need for a joint operation with the three other States affected by Maoist activity, he said : “West Bengal Orissa, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh have a common corridor through which joint action could be conducted. No State can eradicate the menace in isolation.”
Responding to queries on Railway minister Mamata Banerjee’s demands to press the Army to combat the Maoists, Mr. Chakraborti said that this is a matter that will have to be deliberated and decided upon jointly by the respective State government and the Centre.
