The Centre on Thursday has offered complete assistance for a fortnight to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to nab forest brigand Veerappan.

The assistance could also include the dispatch of the elite National Security Guards.

"We discussed the joint strategy, plan of action and the level of cooperation. The Centre has assured to provide whatever is needed within 15 days," Tamil Nadu STF Chief R Natarajan said after a nearly two-hour long coordination committee meeting at the North Block in New Delhi.

The meeting, chaired by Special Secretary (Home) Ashok Bhandari, was attended by senior police officials from both states, Army and Air Force representatives, and Karnataka STF Chief Jyoti Prakash Mirji.

The meeting comes a day after Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna, who is under pressure following the death of Janata Dal, United, leader H Nagappa, declared that their new year resolve was "to end the menace of the bandit" who carries a reward of five crore rupees on his head.

Though the STF chiefs refused to divulge what sort of assistance they had sought from the Centre, sources said they had demanded National Security Guard forces and Air Force choppers.

Natarajan said that the STF had spelt out the difficulties they faced in trying to nab the outlaw and have sought assistance from other agencies.

Dismissing suggestions that there was lack of coordination between both the states, he said, "There is very good coordination at the ground level. We are confident that we will be able to catch him [Verappan]."

Asked whether any deadline have been set by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to achieve the task, Natarajan said, "Our intention is to catch him as fast as possible."

Karnataka has already requested the Centre to provide sophisticated weapons including deployment of forces to hunt the dreaded bandit.

Krishna, on Wednesday, had said, "We have to take tough decisions on Veerappan. We have to go all out to end the menace which has brought a blot on the otherwise good image of the state."

The Search for Veerappan
The Abduction of Nagappa
The Abduction of Dr Rajakumar