Union Home Minister Amit Shah today chaired the 28th meeting of the Western Zonal Council at Panaji in Goa. Addressing the gathering, Mr Shah said, there are no longer any disputes among the states of the Western Region, which is a major achievement. He emphasized that the Zonal Councils have evolved from forums for dispute resolution into platforms for monitoring the implementation of public welfare schemes. Mr Shah said that all the issues discussed in today’s meeting were related to monitoring. He noted that several disputes between States over rivers have also been resolved in the Zonal Council.
Shah said the councils are also monitoring key welfare indicators, including child malnutrition, underweight and stunting, along with Aadhaar coverage and the implementation of Ayushman Bharat cards.
Mr Shah said, over the last 12 years, Prime Minister Modi has strengthened cooperative federalism, with Zonal Council meetings increasing nearly threefold since 2014. He said, during 2004 to 2014, the total number of meetings of the Zonal Councils and their Standing Committees was only 25, whereas since 2014, a total of 71 meetings of the Zonal Councils and their Standing Committees have been held. He said 1,445 of a total of 1,893 issues discussed in these meetings have been resolved, reflecting the effectiveness of the councils and the spirit of Team India.
Noting that the Western region is extremely important from several perspectives, the Home Minister said this region is the country’s largest economic, industrial and financial centre. He said, Goa contributes much more to economic growth than its geographical size would suggest due to advanced tourism, high per capita income and mines. He pointed out that since 2014, Prime Minister Modi has continuously worked, along with numerous administrative reforms, to transform the country’s economy into a rapidly moving economy. He said that Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and the three states of the Western Zonal Council have also made a significant contribution towards achieving the growth rate of 7.8 per cent.
Mr Shah said, the Western Region is known as the WEST Engine of the country’s economic growth. W stands for wealth and finance, which are generated in this region; E stands for exports and ports; S stands for start-ups and semiconductors; and T stands for tourism and the blue economy, in which the Western Region has the largest share in the country.
The Home Minister said, recently, the country recorded a growth rate of 7.8 per cent in the first quarter of the financial year 2026-2027. Mr Shah further mentioned that the Indian economy recording such a growth rate amid global turbulence is a matter of pride.
At the 28th meeting of the Western Zonal Council, several extremely important issues were discussed for the member states as well as for the country. These included the implementation of Fast Track Special Courts for speedy investigation and early disposal of cases of rape against women and children, issues related to the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112), issues related to food safety standards, Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, provision of brick-and-mortar banking facilities within the prescribed radius of every village, issues related to railway development projects, issues concerning environmental clearances, and others. In addition, issues of national importance were also discussed, including urban master planning, issues related to electricity supply, strengthening Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACSs), eliminating malnutrition among children through the Poshan Abhiyaan, reducing the school dropout rate among school children, participation of public hospitals in the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, and issues related to cybercrime and digital infrastructure, among others.
The meeting was attended by Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Praful K Patel. Senior officials of the Central government and the state governments, as well as the Union Territory, also participated in the meeting of the council.
