Exactly a year after Maoists triggered a blast on his convoy’s route at Salboni, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharje is going to Naxal-hit Midnapore on November 7 to get a first-hand view of law and order and development even as security forces gear up to mount a fresh offensive against the Maoists.

The CM will also tour the Naxal-hit districts of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia towards the end of this month.

It was the blast at Salboni that prompted a police crackdown in nearby Lalgarh, eventually leading to an unrest that has claimed nearly 60 lives over the last one year. This is the first time in the last one year that the chief minister is visiting a place so close to the ground zero.

Bhattacharjee will stay at Midnapore for two days and will meet district officials as well as representatives of the three zilla parishads.

The chief minister will be accompanied by top bureaucrats, including state Chief Secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti, Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen, DGP Bhupinder Singh.

“The chief minister wants to go to the spot and make an assessment there,” Sen, who attended a meeting at the Writers’ Buildings held today to review Lalgarh situation, said. The meeting was chaired by the CM.

Sen said in order to ensure the safety of government officials in view of the attack on the Sankrail police station, the government has provided armed escorts for Block Development Officers of 10 blocks in Naxal-hit areas. “If needed, we are ready to provide security for other local-level government functionaries. We are also in the process of fortifying the police stations as part of strengthening security measures,” the home secretary said, adding the situation will improve once additional six companies of Central paramilitary forces arrive in a day or two.