Amit Shah chairs Central Zonal Council meet in Varanasi; CMs of UP, MP, C'garh, U'khand attend

Time of India

24-06-2025

A meeting of the
Central Zonal Council
, chaired by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, discussed regional law and order, border security,
disaster response
and environmental protection with chief ministers and senior officials of four states on Tuesday.
The CMs of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Uttarakhand attended the 25th edition of the high-level meeting held in Varanasi.
The aim of the meeting, held at Hotel Taj, was to strengthen inter-state coordination and
cooperative federalism
, as per a statement.
A resolution lauding the "strong will of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the valour of the Indian Armed Forces" was unanimously passed at the meeting, the statement said.
The last meeting of the council was held on October 7, 2023, in Uttarakhand. Zonal councils provide a structured mechanism for dialogue and discussion on issues affecting two or more states or the Centre and states and serve as an important platform to enable cooperation.
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Shah, who arrived in Varanasi on Monday for a two-day visit, led discussions with the chief ministers of the four states and other senior officials.
The discussions centred around social development, transportation and border issues, law and order, environmental concerns, and matters related to minorities.
During his address, Shah said the Central Zonal Council is the only one among India's five zonal councils where there is no dispute between any of the member states -- calling it a significant achievement. All four states are BJP-ruled states.
The home minister also highlighted that while only 11 meetings of zonal councils and 14 meetings of their standing committees were held between 2004 and 2014, the period from 2014 to 2025 has seen 28 zonal council meetings and 33 standing committee meetings -- two-fold increase.
A total of 1,287 issues have been resolved during these meetings, he said.
Shah urged member states to increase the revenue of gram panchayats by framing appropriate rules, saying that stronger financial foundations would make India's three-tier panchayati raj system more effective.
Fast-track investigation and judicial processing of crimes against women and children through dedicated Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), implementation of brick-and-mortar banking facilities in every village, and expanding the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112) were among the key issues discussed, the statement noted.
Shah also called on states to take concrete steps to eliminate child malnutrition, bring school dropout rates to zero, and strengthen the cooperative sector.
In a post on X, UP CM Yogi Adityanath said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has identified cooperative and competitive federalism as a powerful medium for the holistic development of the country."
Adityanath posted ahead of the meeting that the council strengthens federal unity, national integrity, and regional development.
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami posted on X, "During the meeting, I requested increased support through the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to strengthen road, communication, and security infrastructure in the border areas. I also stressed the need for faster expansion of BharatNet and satellite communication services under the Vibrant Village Programme," he said.
Dhami said he requested that the grant process under the
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana
be simplified, called for the repealing of the 1989 Remote Valley Notification, and asked for additional central assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana to repair roads damaged during natural disasters during monsoon in the hilly regions of Uttarakhand.
He also requested the Centre's support for "setting up a glacier research centre, biodiversity conservation institute, and an international adventure sports training centre.
"Additionally, I sought assistance for successfully organising the Nanda Raj Jat Yatra (2026) and the 2027 Kumbh Mela," he said.
Dhami added that the state government is working towards making Uttarakhand an active contributor in building '
Viksit Bharat
'.
MP CM Mohan Yadav said the discussion focused on cooperation between states, development, security, health and tourism. He shared a photo from the meeting.
Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai said the meeting saw detailed discussions on a range of critical issues and described it as a key step towards "cooperative and competitive federalism".
Earlier in the morning, Yadav and Sai offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple ahead of the meeting.
There are five zonal councils in the country that are statutory bodies set up under the States Re-organisation Act, 1956, to provide a common meeting ground to the states and Union territories in each zone for resolution of inter-state and regional issues, fostering balanced socioeconomic regional development and building harmonious Centre-state relations.
The home minister chairs all five zonal councils. Chief ministers, lieutenant governors or administrators of member states/UTs are their members.
Over the past eleven years, 62 meetings of regional councils and their standing committees have been held with the cooperation of state governments, central ministries and departments, the statement added.