Amit Shah chairs the Western Zonal Council in Diu

Tags: Popular State News

Union Home and Co-operation Minister Amit Shah chaired the Western Zonal Council meeting at Diu on 11 June. 

• Various issues related to border, security, infrastructure, transport and industries in western states were discussed in the meeting.

• About zonal council

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

• In the light of Pandit Nehru's vision, five Zonal Councils were established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.

• These are is as under-

1. The Northern Zonal Council - States of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, National Capital Territory of Delhi and Union Territory of Chandigarh are included.

2. The Central Zonal Council -  States of Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are included.

3. The Eastern Zonal Council - States of Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Sikkim and West Bengal are included.

4. The Western Zonal Council - States of Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and the Union Territories of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli are included.

5. The Southern Zonal Council - States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry are included.

• 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

• Objectives of the Zonal Councils

• National integration

• Enabling Centre and States to collaborate and exchange ideas and experiences

• Stopping the growth of regionalism, linguism and specific tendencies

• To establish an environment of cooperation among the states for successful and speedy execution of development projects