Hyderabad, July 4: The Centre has decided to provide air support to states to check Maoists, Union home secretary V.K. Duggal said today.

But the helicopters cannot be used for combat. They will be given for logistics support, surveillance, for picking up injured persons and supply of equipment, medicine and materials, he said in Hyderabad.

He said the Centre would bear the cost of the helicopters used by the state for the anti-Naxalite operations.