Singh, who is heading the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state since December 2003, suggested that 'keeping in mind the comprehensiveness of the Maoist problem in country, the centre should include it in the column of national calamity and affected persons and families should be helped out from the National Calamity Fund'.

'For a long time I have been maintaining that an integrated strategy is required by the centre to handle Maoist militants, as Maoism and terrorism are two sides of the same coin,' Singh stated at the conference, adding: 'Now I am satisfied that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P. Chidambaram have made up their mind to effectively deal with the scourge.'