Union Home and Co-operation Minister Amit Shah chaired the 26th Meeting of the Western Zonal Council at Gandhinagar, Gujarat today. The Minister also inaugurated an e-Resource web portal of the Inter-State Council Secretariat today.
 
During the meeting, the Home Minister asked the Zonal Council member States to work sensitively on three issues of national importance – POSHAN Abhiyaan, reducing the dropout rate of school children and taking benefits of Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojana to every poor.
 
The Minister said after the passage of the three new Bills – Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, and Bharatiya Sakshya Bill – recently introduced by the Modi government in the Parliament, no case can continue for more than two years. The Home Minister asked all the States to work towards creating the necessary basic infrastructure and capacity for the implementation of these laws.
 
Saying that Member States of the Western Zonal Council share long coastlines where there are highly sensitive institutions and industries, Mr Shah underpinned the need for sustained efforts towards ensuring tight security. The wide range of issues pertaining to as well as national interest was discussed in the meeting.
 
Akashvani correspondent reports that critical Issues related to Transfer of land, water supply, Mines, Coverage of villages by Bank Branches and Postal Banking facilities, Implementation of the Scheme of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) for expeditious disposal of rape and POCSO Act cases, Utilisation of Bharat Net infrastructure by States for providing broadband connectivity to households in villages, Adoption of Telecom RoW Rules by States for facilitating roll out of 5G, Implementation of Motor Vehicles Rules, 2022, Strengthening of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) were among the critical issues discussed today. The meeting was attended by the Chief Ministers of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and Administrator of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and other distinguished Ministers, and senior officers from the States and Central Ministries and Departments.