Bhubaneswar, May 3: The state government is likely to raise a slew of demands, including more central forces, for Maoist-affected areas in Odisha at the upcoming meeting of chief ministers of eight rebel-affected states in Delhi.

It is also likely to demand better infrastructure and mobile phone connectivity in these areas.

Home minister Rajnath Singh called for a meeting of chief ministers of the eight states following an ambush that killed 25 CRPF jawans at Sukma in Chhattisgarh.

The demands to be placed by the state at the May 8 meeting were discussed at an exclusive conclave of senior officers at the secretariat here today. Home secretary Asit Tripathy, director-general of police K.B. Singh and intelligence director Sunil Roy attended the meeting, which was presided over by chief secretary A.P. Padhi.

Padhi said the state would demand two more battalions of central forces for deployment in the Maoist-affected areas. The state had raised this demand with the Centre in the past as well.

"The other important issue is of mobile connectivity, which is poor in these areas. Internet access, too, is poor. We will also take up the issues of road and infrastructure development," said Padhi.

Sources said Odisha would also reiterate its demand for the Centre reimbursing the cost of maintaining the forces stationed in the Maoist-dominated areas.

Odisha has already sealed its borders with Chhattisgarh to negate possible infiltration of Maoists from that state, where security forces have ramped up combing operations following the Sukma attack. Sources said, if needed, helicopters would be used to flush out the rebels hiding in the forests along the state's border with Chhattisgarh.

In a related development, a senior member of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and five guerrillas today surrendered before Rayagada police.

Rashmita Sikaka, who laid down arms before the police, had a reward of Rs 1 lakh on her head. She was a member of the banned outfit's Nagavali division. She is the fourth woman Maoist leader to have surrendered in the state over the past three years.

Police sources said women cadres were surrendering because of the difficulty of life in the forests. They also faced persecution at the hands of male cadres and leaders from Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.