A multi-pronged strategy was drafted at a high-level meeting, the fifth in the series, here on Saturday. Besides Union Home Secretary Ravi Kamal Pandey, the meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Arun Bongirwar, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) V Rangnathan, Director General of Police Arvind Inamdar and the Home Secretaries and Directors General of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa.

The last meeting of the coordination committee of the five states presided over by Union Home Minister L K Advani was held at Hyderabad.

After reviewing Naxalite activity, particularly in Orissa, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, Pandey asked the heads of these Governments not only to intensify the drive against Naxalites, but also strengthen the inter-state network.

With vigilance having been stepped up in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, the Naxalite movementin these states has been brought under control, leading to Naxalites shifting focus to Orissa and Bihar.

``It was found that the Dalams, operating in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, were now spreading to Bihar and Orissa. There were more deaths in these two states compared to Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh,'' said a senior police official.

``From official records, it is confirmed that prominent leaders of Naxalite groups are now taking shelter in either Andhra Pradesh, or Orissa and Bihar,'' the official added.

The official said the emphasis will now be on sharing information, alerting the states on Naxalite movements and completing the new national highway linking Maharashtra with Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Bihar. ``We also decided to tackle the woes of the tribals in the five states since the Naxals were mainly concentrating on them,'' the official added.

The official said Maharashtra has asked the Centre for more funds for the modernisation of its police force, tobenefit particularly those posted in Naxalite-infested areas. It has urged the Centre to sanction a grant for a special training centre being set up at Nagpur for the purpose and bear 50 per cent of the expenditure incurred on the police force deployed in these areas.