"We are ready for talks. Our doors are open. But the Maoists should shun violence. We urge them to sit for talks," Ramesh, the Union Rural Development minister, told a public meeting at Lalgarh, a Maoist hotbed in the past.
Stating that para-military forces were required to maintain peace, he said "violence cannot be the answer to violence."
82 districts in the country were declared as Maoist- affected of which three were Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapore in West Bengal, he said.
With the help of the Centre and central para-military forces the situation in Lalgarh in West Midnapore district has undergone a change.
"One can see what was Lalgarh earlier and what it is today," he said.
Ramesh also said that special programmes were required for tribals who had faced injustice.
