Home Minister Amit Shah will chair on Saturday the 27th meeting of the Western Zonal Council in Pune, which will provide a platform for resolving disputes and issues between the Centre and States in the region.
The Western Zonal Council comprises the states of Gujarat, Goa, Maharashtra and the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
The zonal councils hold discussions on a wide range of issues, including speedy investigation of cases of sexual offence/rape against women and children and implementation of Fast Track Special Courts for expeditious disposal of such cases.
Facilitation of banks/India Post Payment Bank branches within 5 km in each village, implementation of Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112), issues relating to infrastructure, mining, environment and forests, food security parameters and other subjects of common interest at the regional level are other issues discussed at the meetings.
The Maharashtra government is hosting the meeting which is being organised by the Inter State Council Secretariat under the Ministry of Home Affairs, in collaboration with the state government.
The meeting is expected be attended by the chief ministers of the member states and the administrator of the Union Territories, along with two senior ministers from each state, the statement said.
Chief secretaries, advisors and other senior officers of the state governments and union territories and Union Home Secretary, secretary, Inter State Council and other senior officers of the Central government will also participate in the meeting.
Five zonal councils were established in 1957. The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of these five councils, while the chief ministers of the states included in the respective zonal council and the administrator/LG of the union territories are its
members.
Zonal councils provide an excellent platform for resolving disputes and issues between the Centre and the States and between the several States in the region. Many issues of national importance are also discussed in each meeting of the zonal councils.
These include power operations, urban master plan, eliminating malnutrition among children through POSHAN Abhiyan, discussion on reducing the dropout rate of school children, participation of government hospitals in Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, strengthening Primary Agricultural Credit Societies and other issues of common interest, the statement said.
