Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair the 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council (SZC) in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, on Thursday, with the meeting set to focus on issues requiring coordination between the Centre and southern states and Union Territories.
The Southern Zonal Council comprises Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, along with the Union Territories of Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.
The meeting is being organised by the Inter-State Council Secretariat under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), with the Tamil Nadu government hosting the event. Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors and Administrators of the member states and Union Territories, along with two senior ministers from each state, are expected to participate.
Chief Secretaries, advisers and other senior state officials, as well as senior officers from the Central government, will also attend the meeting.
The Zonal Councils were established under Sections 15 to 22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, as forums for structured dialogue on issues involving two or more states or matters concerning the Centre and states.
HM Shah is the Chairman of the Southern Zonal Council, while Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay is its Vice-Chairman. The position of Vice-Chairman is held by the Chief Ministers of member states on a rotational basis.
Ahead of the meeting, the MHA said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “TEAM BHARAT”, based on cooperative federalism, has strengthened the role of Zonal Councils as platforms for dialogue and consensus-building.
The councils are advisory bodies but have emerged as mechanisms for resolving inter-state and Centre-state issues and promoting mutual cooperation, the ministry said.
A standing committee comprising Chief Secretaries has also been constituted under the Zonal Council framework. Issues raised by member states are first considered by the committee, with unresolved matters subsequently placed before the full Zonal Council for discussion.
According to the ministry, 69 meetings of various Zonal Councils and their standing committees have been held since June 2014, reflecting increased engagement between the Centre and states on issues of common interest.
The councils discuss a range of matters, including issues linked to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, water-sharing projects, housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin, civil aviation and education.
They have also taken up issues of national importance, including the implementation of Fast Track Special Courts for speedy investigation and disposal of cases involving rape of women and children.
The MHA said the councils provide a forum for states and Union Territories to resolve disputes, coordinate on development projects and address regional concerns through dialogue and cooperation.
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