"After recent killing of 24 security personnel in Chhattisgarh, the Home Ministry should seriously work out a comprehensive plan to tackle Naxalites violence," said Ajai Sahani, executive director of Institute of Conflict Management, a Delhi based think tank.

He said any move to buy peace with Naxalites will not end the killings carried out by rebels frequently. Sahani said the Home Ministry should call a special meeting of the Chief Ministers of Naxal affected States to work out a well knit strategy.

Maoist rebels, called Naxalites in Indian context, killed 24 security personnel in a land-mine attack in Bijapur town of the South Central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, Sunday. Few days before rebels had struck in a remote village of Southern Andhra Pradesh and killed a ruling Congress party legislature.

The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Y S Rajshekhar Reddy immediately announced ban on all Naxalite outfits.

In Chhattishgarh after the incident, which is the biggest one in the history of Naxalite violence in the state, the Chief Minister Raman Singh said his government is seriously considering to impose a ban on Naxalite activities.

The Indian interior Ministry while taking a serious note of the incident said it would make a comprehensive review of the situation and decide on counter measures against Naxalites.

"The home Ministry will make a comprehensive review of the Naxalite situation in Chhattisgarh with senior state government officers and decide on appropriate counter measures," said a spokesman for Indian Interior Ministry Monday.

The Federal government condemned the killing of security personnel by Maoist rebels.

Twenty-four personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force traveling in an anti-landmine vehicle, provided by Centre to Naxal affected states, were killed in the blast near Padeda village of Bijapur town on Sept. 4.

"The Impact of the blast was so strong that the vehicle was blown to pieces," the Chief Minister Singh said.

He said he had called a high-level meeting to consider clamping a ban on the Communist Party of India (Maoist).

Maoists rebels are active in at least eight Indian states. Besides Chhattisgarh other states include Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Maoists in India are called Naxalites as they began their activities from a place called Naxalbari in Eastern State of West Bengal. Later they spread over to adjoining States.

Maoists rebels are fighting against Indian rule to establish a communist regime. They say they fight for the rights of agricultural laborers and landless poor peasants. Thousands of people have been killed in Maoists violence so far.

The Maoists rebels got their foothold in poor and tribal dominated Chhattishgarh in 1990. Maoists violence has taken a toll of 150 lives including 93 civilian in this poverty stricken state.

The Chief Minister Raman Singh on earlier occasion had proposed dialogue with Maoist guerrillas.

The rebels continued their activities ignoring government plea, however. The state government also launched a food distribution program in rural tribal areas, which are stronghold of rebels, to win over poor tribes. The government said it was doing so to ensure food safety in backward areas and to bring tribes back to mainstream life.

The food supplied to poor tribes was pizza and Pepsi.

The state government also roped in some influential villagers and organized public meetings at village level to facilitate surrender of local youths who had joined rebel groups. In July, 117 members of CPI (Maoist) surrendered at one of such rally in Bhairamgarh district.

The government claimed that rebels are so shaken after the surrender of 117 of their members that they invited journalists in the deep forest to express their views.

The land mine attack took place ahead of the visit of the Chief Minister Raman Singh to Naxal affected areas. He has deferred his visit for the time being.

"The incident would not change my plan to visit Naxal affected areas in near future," Singh said.

He said anti-naxalite operations in remote areas of the state would continue. Singh said he had sought more paramilitary forces from the Centre.

The Interior Minister Shivraj Patil had recently convened a meeting of the Home Ministers of Naxal prone states in southern Hyderabad to work out a joint strategy against rebels. It yielded no results, however. The participants decided to meet again.

Meanwhile, a report from Dentewara, a remote tribal district of Chhattisgarh brought a smile on the face of the Chief Minister Raman Singh. It said a new chapter was added to the history of the state as unarmed tribes came out openly against Naxalites.

"Even after paying price of 50 lives in only two months for opposing the Maoists, the poor villagers are showing courage to come out against the guerrillas whom they hold responsible for the lack of development in Dantewara," the report said.

"The people have left far behind the political leaders in this resistance campaign, "said Mahendra Karma, a Congress legislature and Leader of Opposition in Chhattisgarh assembly.

The State government has also decided to provide arms to tribes who have been fighting against rebels and also who are willing to oppose Maoist rebels.

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