New Delhi: The government Thursday said it was confident of overcoming the Maoist problem in the next three years and had prepared a two-pronged strategy of initiating development and police action in the affected areas.

Addressing a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Home Affairs, Home Minister P Chidambaram expressed confidence that the challenge of left wing extremism would be met jointly by the central and state governments.

"The government was confident that the problem of left wing extremism would be overcome in the next three years," he said.

Chidambaram said after consultations with the Naxal-affected states, it was agreed to have a two-pronged strategy to handle the Maoist issue -- development and police action.