The 24th meeting of the Western Zonal Council, a forum for the Centre and the states to cooperate and exchange ideas and experiences on issues related to health, security and social welfare, will be held in Panaji, Goa, on Thursday, officials said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will preside over the day-long meeting to be attended by chief ministers of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa and administrators of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is the vice chairman and host. Two ministers from each state and chief secretaries and senior officers from the state governments and the central government will also attend the meeting, a home ministry official said.
Common interests pertaining to infrastructure, health, security, social welfare, road, transport, industries, water and power, matters pertaining to forests and environment, housing, education, food and tourism may be discussed and action taken.
Issues related to regional development of infrastructure for giving a boost to urban housing sector, construction of bridges, issuance of biometric identity cards and card-readers to fishermen are likely to be discussed at the Thursday’s meeting.
The states have been divided into five zones and each zone has its council comprising the chief minister, two ministers and the chief secretary of each state.
The zonal councils are headed by the Union home minister and each zone nominates one chief minister as its vice chairman on rotation basis.
The zonal councils provide a forum where irritants between the Centre and the states and amongst the states themselves can be resolved through free and frank discussion and consultations, another official said.
Being advisory bodies, there is full scope for free exchange of views at these meetings.
The meeting of the Western Zonal Council was last held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on April 26, 2018.
