Madhya Pradesh has declared illegal and banned for a year the ultra-leftist Communist Party of India-Maoist and its two frontal organisations -- Krantikari Kisan Committee and Krantikari Jan Committee -- official sources said on Monday.

They said the decision is based on the government's belief that the CPI-Maoist, which was formed by the merger of Naxal outfits CPI Marxist-Leninist, Peoples War and Maoist Communist Centre, is indulging in acts detrimental to the state's security and national integrity.

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Both the frontal organisations mentioned are assisting the CPI-Maoist in criminal activities and there are sufficient grounds to declare them illegal, a government notification issued under the Madhya Pradesh Special Area Security Act on November 18 said.

The rebels are active in Balaghat, Mandla, Seoni, Dindori and Sidhi districts of eastern Madhya Pradesh.

Among the Naxals' victims was Likhiram Kavre, the then transport minister of undivided Madhya Pradesh, who was hacked to death in 1999 at his native village Sonepuri in Balaghat district. Two extremists were recently convicted for the assassination.

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Chhattisgarh, carved out of Madhya Pradesh in November 2000, is confronting the menace for decades with 12 of its 16 districts in the Naxals' grip.

Bastar and Sarguja regions remain the hotbed of ultra-leftists and an easy passage into Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.

Over the past three months, Naxals have gunned down about 400 tribal people, including panchayat functionaries, in retaliation for a government-supported anti-extremist movement in south Bastar, locally known as 'Salwa Judum'.