30th Southern Zonal Council meet

Tags: National National News

Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the 30th Southern Zonal Council meeting of South Indian States and Union Territories in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on 3 September.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• The objective of the meeting was to promote regional cooperation between the states on issues of common national importance.

• Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, chief ministers of other southern states - Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana - and the lieutenant governors of the southern union territories of Puducherry, Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands attended the meeting.

• During the meeting, 26 issues were discussed, nine were resolved, 17 were put up for further consideration, of which nine were related to the reorganisation of Andhra Pradesh.

• The Union Home Minister called upon the southern states to find an amicable solution to end all issues, especially those related to river water sharing.

• The Home Minister said that the Ministry of Home Affairs is trying to check the drug menace by emphasising the need for regular NCORD (Narco Coordination Centre) meetings between the states.

• Since 2015, Rs 4,206 crore has been approved for the Fisheries Infrastructure Development Fund scheme in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

About Zonal Councils :

• In 1956 first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru give the idea of creation of Zonal Councils.

• There are five Zonal Councils in India which were established in 1957 under Section 15-22 of the States Reorganization Act, 1956.

• A Standing Committee is constituted by each Zonal Council consisting of the Chief Secretaries of their respective Zonal Councils of the Member States.

• These Standing Committees meet from time to time to resolve the issues.

• Chairman - The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each of these Councils

• Vice-chairman - Chief Minister of the host state