Home minister P Chidambaram said on Thursday that the large presence of security forces in the northeastern states was necessary to deal with the threat of violence and cases of extortion there.

Addressing the conference of DGPs and IGPs, Chidambaram said some splinter groups and some smaller groups in the Northeast were still holding out and refusing to accept the offer of talks.

"In Manipur, a united front of seven Meiti underground groups has been formed. Therefore, a large presence of security forces in the North Eastern states is a necessity to deal with both the threat of violence and the cases of extortion," he said.

The home minister, however, said there was remarkable improvement in the security situation in some of the northeastern states but it has not attracted the attention that it deserves.

Chidambaram said last year he had referred to the appointment of two interlocutors to talk to various groups in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.

"I am happy to report further progress. We have ceasefire agreements with both NSCN(IM) and NSCN(K). We have suspension of operation agreements with NDFB, UPDS, DHD, ANVC, KNO, UPF and, more recently, with ULFA. The commencement of formal talks with NSCN(IM) and ULFA has been enthusiastically welcomed by the people," he said.

The home minister said though the central government was happy with the decline in the level of violence, it can be satisfied only if the ongoing talks with different groups lead to the disbanding of armed cadres and honourable political agreements.