Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, will preside over the 26th meeting of the Western Zonal Council scheduled for Monday, August 28, 2023, at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Comprising the states of Gujarat, Goa, Maharashtra, and the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, the Western Zonal Council meeting will bring together Chief Ministers, Union Territory Administrators, senior ministers, Chief Secretaries, and other senior officials from participating regions.
Organized by the Inter-State Council Secretariat under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, in collaboration with the Government of Gujarat, the meeting serves as a platform for systematic dialogue on issues of regional importance that affect two or more states or the Center and the States. The Zonal Councils, established under the States Reorganization Act of 1956, exemplify the spirit of cooperative and competitive federalism, promoting cooperative federalism and strengthening relationships between the central and state governments.
The Western Zonal Council addresses a wide spectrum of issues, including infrastructure, mining, water supply, environmental concerns, state restructuring, direct benefit transfer (DBT), and telecommunications expansion. Notably, issues of national significance, such as expeditious handling of sexual offence cases, facilitation of banking services in rural areas, malnutrition among children through Poshan Abhiyan, and participation of government hospitals in Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, are also discussed.
Shri Amit Shah’s leadership emphasizes cooperative federalism to empower states and foster a comprehensive understanding of policy frameworks between the central and state governments. The Zonal Councils facilitate dispute resolution and promote collaboration to achieve holistic development. Last year, meetings of all five Zonal Councils were convened under Shri Amit Shah’s chairmanship, and this year’s meetings are preceded by discussions in respective standing committees.
