The central government has convened a chief ministers' conference in New Delhi [Images] on January 6 to discuss internal security and draw up a plan for taking preventive measures against possible terrorist attacks that the intelligence agencies say will increase in 2009.

The conference will review the progress of measures decided in a similar exercise held a year ago on December 20, 2007. The 2007 conference stressed on improving ground-level intelligence gathering and filling up of police vacancies.

Home Minister P Chidambaram felt the necessity of urgently calling the chief ministers' conference after he got the intelligence inputs that no less than 600 terrorists and their sleeper cells are suspected to be underground in different parts of the country, who may give a push to the terrorist attacks in the new year, the sources said.

After the 26/11 Mumbai attack, the Centre has also advised the states to raise a separate commando force that is specially trained to take on the terrorists using the sophisticated arms. The CBI is already providing courses to the state police personnel on electronic vigilance to keep a tab on the terrorists using the Internet to communicate and for directing the attacks while sitting outside India.

A series of other measures worked out by the Centre after 26/11 will come up for discussion at January 6 conference for their quick implementation. Coordination of the central intelligence agencies with the state special branches will also be discussed at the conference, which will also help the Centre assess the kind of financial and arms support needed by the states, the sources said.