Shillong, September 03: Chief Ministers of the North East would discuss threadbare internal security and development initiatives in the region with Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil at a meeting here tomorrow, but Meghalaya Chief Minister DD Lapang said he was unsure whether the States would have a "common approach" on issues.

Lapang told reporters here today Chief Ministers of the region never had the chance to discuss the evolution of a common approach among themselves.

"Therefore I cannot say anything on it�.

"An identical approach to deal with internal security may take place if time permits," he said hinting at discussion of issues relating to insurgency and international boundaries in the crucial meet.

The meeting was being organized by the Union Home Ministry mainly to assess the security situation in the region, particularly Manipur and Assam, official sources said.

Giving details of Patil�s three-day tour to the North East, his first after the UPA Government took over in Delhi, Lapang said the Home Minister�s official engagements would start with the Chief Ministers� conference.

Besides the heads of Government of eight States of the region, Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police would also attend.

Lapang would be assisted by his deputy and Home Minister at the conclave.

After a three-hour conference, Patil would give an audience to State Congress president SC Marak and other political parties followed by a meeting with Meghalaya cabinet ministers who would present a memorandum on all "pending and new" issues to him.

Lapang said security had been beefed up in view of the presence of the VIPs.

Patil would fly to Imphal on Sunday morning to assess the political situation in view of widespread agitation for lifting of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from the State, the sources said.

Immediately on his arrival, he would meet the Governor, Chief Minister and his council of ministers separately.

He would then meet top civil and police officials of the State and heads of the Army and central paramilitary forces stationed there.

It would be followed by a meeting with a people�s delegation, the sources said.

At noon, the Home minister would meet five former Chief Ministers of Manipur, MLAs of the Secular Progressive Front and Democratic People�s Alliance.

The Home Minister would wrap up his visit with a press conference at the Raj Bhawan.

On Monday, he would fly back to Shillong and meet all the 26 Lok Sabha and 14 Rajya Sabha MPs of the North East followed by talks with North Eastern Council officials and chief secretaries and development commissioners of the region.

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