New Delhi, June 23: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair on Tuesday the 25th meeting of the Central Zonal Council in Varanasi where a host of issues concerning the nation and the states are expected to be discussed.
The meeting will be attended by the chief ministers of member states along with two senior ministers from each state, an official statement said. The chief secretaries of states and other senior officials, as well as senior officials from the Centre, will also participate in the meeting.
The central zonal council comprises Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
The zonal council meeting normally discusses broad issues of national importance, including the speedy investigation of cases of sexual offences against women and children and the implementation of fast-track special courts for their swift disposal and providing brick-and-mortar banking facilities within the designated area of every village, among others, the statement said.
Implementation of the Emergency Response Support System and various regional-level issues of common interest such as strengthening nutrition, education, health, electricity, urban planning, and the cooperative system are also discussed at the meeting.
This meeting is being organised by the Inter-State Council Secretariat under the Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh government.
Five zonal councils were established under Sections 15 to 22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. The Union Home Minister is the chairperson of these councils, and the chief ministers/lieutenant governors/administrators of the member states and Union Territories are their members.
Among these members, the chief minister of one member state (rotating every year) acts as the vice-chairperson. From each member state, the governor nominates two ministers as members of the council.
Each zonal council has also formed a permanent committee at the level of chief secretaries.
Issues proposed by the states are initially presented to the permanent committee of the zonal council concerned for discussion. After consideration by the permanent committee, the remaining issues are then presented to the zonal council meeting for further deliberation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasised the need to leverage cooperative and competitive federalism for the all-round development of the country, the statement said.
With the belief 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 states. Through this, these serve as an important platform to enhance mutual cooperation.
The role of the zonal councils is advisory; however, over the past few years, these councils have proven to be an important factor in promoting healthy bonds of mutual understanding and cooperation in various fields.
With the cooperation of all state governments, central ministries, and departments, a total of 61 meetings of the various zonal councils and their permanent committees have been held in the last 11 years. (PTI)
