Calcutta, Feb. 8: Delhi has pressed the “extra alert” button and put the Bengal administration on its toes on the eve of the first meeting of chief ministers of Maoist-hit states outside Delhi.

Union home minister P. Chidambaram has convened the meeting with the chief ministers and officials of Jharkhand, Orissa, Bihar and Bengal in Calcutta to thrash out a better co-ordinated combat plan.

“As it is, the threat perception of these people is very high because of the Maoists,” a Calcutta police officer said. “When all of them converge on a state with a perceptible Maoist presence, the security has to be raised accordingly.”

According to officers, the “alert” from the Union home ministry mentions the possibility of the Maoists attempting to seize the opportunity to create “trouble”. “We have been told that the Centre has intelligence that such a scenario cannot be ruled out. So we are not taking chances,” the officer said.

Sources said that apart from a commando cover, which is part of the Z-security routine, armed officers from the Special Protection Service would be providing a plainclothes back-up for the VVIPS.

A special Heavy Radio Flying Squad, whose personnel stay seated in vehicles close to the site of VIP presence so they can rush in at the earliest in case of an eventuality, will also be deployed.

The 10.30am-1pm meeting will be followed by lunch at the Raj Bhavan. A contingent of the Special Action Force will ring the governor’s house during the lunch.

“We are in touch with the personal security officers of the guests and we have explained to them the drill that we will follow,” an officer said.

The Bihar chief minister will not be there tomorrow but he state’s chief secretary will represent him. The other states, too, will have their senior police and administrative officers.

“Thank God that they will all leave tomorrow itself,” a police officer said.

Bengal chief secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti, home secretary Ardhendu Sen and police chief Bhupinder Singh met chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today.

“We feel a joint offensive is necessary against the Maoists in the disturbed areas, spread across Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh,” Chakrabarti said.