Kolkata, July 10 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will visit the Maoist hotbeds of West Midnapore and Bankura next week in her first district tour after taking over the reins of the state in May.


Banerjee is scheduled to visit Jhargram and Nayagram in West Midnapore district and Sarenga in Bankura district.

"I have heard she will reach West Midnapore on Monday night and will start her tour of Bankura and West Midnapore from Tuesday morning," Trinamool Congress MP Suvendu Adhikari told IANS.

Banerjee will meet the locals to enquire about their problems. She is expected to focus on various developmental programs.

Some ministers including Western Zone Development Minister Sukumar Hansda have reached Junglemahal (western districts of Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapore) to chalk out the developmental programme which will be initiated by Banerjee.

The chief minister had earlier offered to hold talks with the Maoists and promised that the joint forces operating in the rebel-hit areas would be withdrawn if they surrendered their arms.

Banerjee has appealed to all armed groups across the state to surrender their arms.

Her government will take measures according to the law to recover weapons, she said, promising a special economic package for the rebels who lay down arms.

She asserted that those residing in the forest areas should have their rights over the forests.