AP CM wants access to Internet chat sites

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today sought insider access to online communication sites to monitor the Internet-based communication channels used by terrorists.

He named Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Nimbus, Skype and VoIP channels while stating that security agencies were facing problems in monitoring these sites as their headquarters were located outside India, according to a statement issued by the chief minister's office.

Terrorists were taking advantage of this situation and using these communication channels for their anti-national activities, he told the chief ministers conference on internal security held in New Delhi. Reddy urged the Centre to take up the matter with the the authorities concerned for finding a way out to this problem.

Referring to naxal activities elsewhere in the country, the chief minister said the left wing extremism had been put under check in the state by adopting a comprehensive inclusive approach through various welfare programmes targeting unemployed youth, women and weaker sections.

The geographical area under the influence of left wing extremists is confined to the 8 districts of AP bordering Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, according to the government.