Bhubaneswar, Sep 24 - Orissa Thursday urged the central government for more paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and a dedicated chopper to tackle the Maoist menace.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday met union Home Minister P. Chidambaram in New Delhi to press the demand.

He asked for seven battalions of CRPF and a helicopter for tackling the ultras in the state. He also said that the amount sanctioned for hiring the helicopter was not adequate.

He demanded increase in grant under security related expenses from Rs.24 crore to Rs.64 crore.

He also called for immediate deployment of central forces for joint anti-Maoist operations along with other affected states.