Amit Shah Chairs 28th Western Zonal Council Meeting In Goa

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday chaired the 28th meeting of the Western Zonal Council in Dona Paula, Goa, with representatives of Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu participating in the meeting.

The meeting is being organised by the Inter-State Council Secretariat under the Ministry of Home Affairs and is being hosted by the Government of Goa.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Shah is the Chairman of the Western Zonal Council, while the Chief Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant, is its Vice-Chairman. From among the member States, the Chief Minister of one State serves as the Vice- Chairman of the Council on a rotational basis every year.

The Zonal Council comprised the Chief Ministers of each State in the Western region and two senior Ministers from each State as members. Senior officers from the Government of India and the State Governments/Union Territories also participated in the meeting of the Council.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has envisioned TEAM BHARAT for the country based on the principle of cooperative federalism, and the Zonal Councils are making an important contribution in this direction. 

PM Modi  has emphasised the need to harness the potential of cooperative and competitive federalism to achieve all-round development.

With the spirit that strong States make a strong nation, the Zonal Councils provide a structured mechanism for dialogue and discussion on issues affecting two or more States, or the Centre and the States together, and serve as a platform for enhancing mutual cooperation through this process.

The role of the Zonal Councils is advisory; however, over the past few years, these Councils have emerged as an important factor in fostering healthy bonds of mutual understanding and cooperation across various sectors.

With the cooperation of all State Governments, Central Ministries and Departments, a total of 70 meetings of various Zonal Councils and their Standing Committees have been held over the past 12 years (from June 2014 to date).

The Councils also discuss broad issues of national importance, including the expeditious investigation of cases of rape against women and children and the implementation of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) for their speedy disposal; implementation of the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112); issues related to food safety standards; provision of brick-and-mortar banking facilities within a designated radius of every village; and issues relating to nutrition, education, health, power sector reforms, urban planning, strengthening the cooperative system, cybercrime and digital infrastructure, among others.  

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