High-level meet to approve 'Operation Greenhunt' begins in Kolkata

Kolkata: To reach a consensus and approve the joint operation against Maoists in four states of Jharkhand, Orissa, Bihar and West Bengal, a high-level meeting under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram began at the State Secretariat today.

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and his Orissa counterpart Naveen Patnaik are attending the meet while Jharkhand is being represented by Deputy Chief Ministers Raghubar Das and Sudesh Mahato and Bihar by Home Secretary Aamir Suhani and DGP Anand Shankar.

West Bengal Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty and Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen are also present at the meet. Mr Patnaik leads a seven-member delegation.

The meeting has been convened to give a nod to the 'Operation Greenhunt', planned by the Centre, in the backdrop of growing Maoist activities in these states.

The meeting will also chalkout strategy to contain insurgency in Chhattisgarh as Mr Chidambaram has already met Chief Minister Raman Singh in this regard.

The West Bengal government will make a presentation to Mr Chidambaram to apprise him of the achievements made by the combined forces in the state as well as identify areas inaccessible to the administration.

Security in and around the Writers' Buildings has been tightened in view of the high-powered meeting.