Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday chaired the 28th meeting of the Western Zonal Council at Dona Paula in Goa, bringing together representatives from Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
The meeting was organised by the Inter-State Council Secretariat under the Ministry of Home Affairs and hosted by the Government of Goa. Shah is the Chairman of the Western Zonal Council, while Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant serves as its Vice-Chairman.
The Council comprises the Chief Ministers of the member states, along with two senior Ministers from each state. Senior officials from the Centre, states and Union Territory also participated in the deliberations.
The meeting provided a platform for discussions on issues requiring coordination between the Centre and states, as well as matters involving two or more states. The Zonal Councils are advisory bodies and are aimed at strengthening cooperative federalism and improving coordination among governments.
Among the key issues discussed by the Councils are the speedy investigation and disposal of cases involving crimes against women and children, implementation of Fast Track Special Courts, Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112), food safety standards, banking access in villages, nutrition, education, healthcare, power sector reforms, urban planning, strengthening the cooperative system, cybercrime and digital infrastructure.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said the Zonal Councils have emerged as an important platform for fostering mutual understanding and cooperation among states. Over the past 12 years, 70 meetings of various Zonal Councils and their Standing Committees have been held.
