Union Home Minister, P Chidambaram has said that the progress of the on-going operation against the Maoists in the Naxal-hit states was "satisfactory".

"The joint operation against the Naxalites is few weeks old and the progress has been satisfactory," Chidambaram told reporters at Raipur after a high-level meeting convened to review the operation.

Besides Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh, Chief Minister of Orissa, Naveen Patnaik and Home Minister of Maharashtra, RR Patil, attended the meeting that lasted for about two hours.

Senior police officials of the Naxal-infested states and paramilitary forces engaged in the operation were also present.

"The goal of the operation is not to engage in gun-battles," Chidambaram said, adding that the operation would re-assert the establishment of civil-administration in the affected pockets. The administration would be allowed to exercise the coordination of taking up development works in the areas," he said.

The Union Home Minister clarified that the government intended to avoid unnecessary violence and collateral damages through the operation.