Imphal, February 05 2010: State Chief Minister, O Ibobi who is camping in New Delhi will take part in the high level internal security meeting of Chief Ministers of the states convened by the Centre on Sunday.

The Chief Minister who left Imphal yesterday will also take part in Chief Ministers' Conference on price.

The Congress Working Committee had already met today and held discussion on the same issue, official source here said today.

For the North Eastern states, the meeting is considered to be a crucial one in the backdrop of spurt of violence in the region particularly in Manipur and Assam as the meeting will prominently discuss the status of negotiations with underground outfits, the rise in extortion and killing of people etc.

The meeting was convened by Home Minister, P Chidambaram and Prime Minister Dr Manmohon Singh is also expected to attend the meeting which would take stock of the internal security situation of the country.

The Centre is expected to fine a tune its anti-terror strategy in consultation with the Chief Ministers of the states.

Chief Minister, O Ibobi also attended the meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on prices situation held under the chair of the Prime Minister, Manmohon Singh.

The meeting comes a day ahead of a conference of chief ministers convened by the Prime Minister to discuss rising prices.

"First, the price-rise was discussed at the meeting.

Eighteen people expressed their views on it and gave their suggestions.

(Finance minister) Pranabji also spoke on it and expressed hope that the condition will become normal soon," Congress General Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi was quoted as saying to journalists there.

Agencies reports said at the end of the meeting, the prime minister who was concerned over the hike in the prices of essential commodities reportedly said that things are improving and soon there would be more improvement.

The meeting was also attended by chief ministers of Congress-ruled states, except Maharashtra where party General Secretary Rahul Gandhi is visiting.

According to party sources, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told the CWC about the steps taken by the government to bring down prices of essential commodities and asked the chief ministers to streamline the Public Distribution System.

The meeting, which lasted nearly three hours, was attended by senior Congress leaders, including the Prime Minister, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Home Minister P.Chidambaram.

The meeting of the extended Working Committee was also attended by permanent invitees and Congress chief ministers.

Congress sources said that some members asked the government to take steps to reduce the layers of middlemen that exist between the farmer and consumer.

They said that the produce was procured from farmers at a price far less than what is paid by the consumer and there was a need to reduce the layers of middlemen.

Chidambaram told the meeting about the government's response to regional divisions in Andhra Pradesh on creation of a new state of Telangana.

He said the terms of reference of the committee formed on the issue would be finalised shortly.

Sources said that Defence Minister A.K.Antony, who is the party in-charge of Maharashtra, gave an assessment of the situation in the state in the light of attempts by the Shiv Sena to raise linguistic issues.

They said some members objected to remarks of Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar about the possibility of rise in prices of some commodities.

They said that such remarks were unwarranted.

The chief ministers of Maharashtra and Puducherry did not come for the meeting due to the visit of party general secretary Rahul Gandhi to their states.

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