Kolkata, Sep 21 (IANS): The central government will be ready for talks if Maoists suspend violence even if they do not give up arms, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said Wednesday.

"(The offer of) talks with Naxalites is still open. All we ask them is to suspend violence. We are not asking them to give up ideology and arms," Chidambaram told a special session of the Bharat Chamber of Commerce.

Stating that India had never in the past faced multiple security problems, he said leftwing extremism formed the greatest challenge in terms of violence and killings.

He said the country needed capacity building in terms of more security personnel. "The capacity that we are building is not able to pre-empt any terror attack."

Chidambaram said 220 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers will be recruited this year. "We will recruit the same number every year for the next seven years," he said.

The minister said India was more vulnerable as it was close to the global epicentres of terrorism -- Pakistan and Afghanistan.

However, no country was free from terror, he pointed out.

"We have to be vigilant 24x7. We ask our security personnel to be vigilant 24x7."

Stressing the need for development in Maoist areas, Chidambaram said: "Where development can take place, it should take place without the help of security forces. And where development cannot take place, security forces should go and take control of the area."