Midnapore/Kanksa, Aug. 11: With Independence Day around the corner, security agencies are giving final touches to their plans to pre-empt a Naxalite offensive, particularly along railway tracks.

Senior railway police officials on Tuesday held a meeting with officers of the special operations group ? the wing formed to combat CPI (Maoist) extremists in Bengal ? in the West Midnapore circuit house.

In the brainstorming that lasted five hours, officials of three Naxalite-infested districts ? West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia ? and the criminal investigation department (CID) shared information with the railway security establishment.

The move followed a caution from intelligence agencies against Maoist attacks on, before or after August 15.

On Monday, senior railway officials held another round of meeting with the West Midnapore police brass in Jhargram.

Officials there, including inspector-general of police (railways) Mukul Sengupta and special inspector-general (railways) Sadhan Mandal, expressed concern over the Maoists’ threat.

“Although the Maoists in Bengal have not targeted tracks like in Assam or Jharkhand, we are not ruling out the possibility,” Sengupta said.

S.S. Panda, the superintendent of railway police, Kharagpur, said: “We have decided to provide more security personnel on long-distance trains and intensify vigil at important stations. Besides, close watch will be kept on the tracks.”

The rebels have apparently strengthened their organisation in the forest areas of Kanksa in Burdwan.

In a bid to draw more villagers into their fold, CPI (Maoist) leaders are said to be screening video clippings of their activities in Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand and playing recorded speeches of the firebrand rebels.

Intelligence reports have said that a group of 70 youths has already joined the organisation.