Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that 40 out 51 pending issues were resolved in the context of today's meeting of the Southern Zonal Council in Tirupati.
Taking to Twitter, the Minister wrote, "Zonal Councils are advisory bodies in nature and yet we have been able to successfully solve many issues. This platform provides an opportunity for interaction at the highest level amongst members. 40 out of 51 pending issues were resolved in the context of today's meeting."
Shah today chaired the 29th meeting of the Southern Zonal Council comprising of the States of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, and Union Territories of Puducherry, Lakshadweep and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.
The Zonal Councils take up issues involving Centre and States and one or many States falling in the Zone. The Zonal Councils, thus, provide a forum for resolving disputes and irritants between Centre and States and among many States in the Zone. The Zonal Councils discuss broad range of issues which include boundary-related disputes, security, infrastructure-related matters like road, transport, industries, water, and power etc., matters pertaining to forests and environment, housing, education, food security, tourism and transport etc.
Five Zonal Councils were set up in the year 1957 under Section 15-22 of the States Re-organization Act, 1956. Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each of these five Zonal Councils and Chief Ministers of the host State (to be chosen by rotation every year) is the Vice-Chairman. Two more Ministers from each State are nominated as Members by the Governor.
( With inputs from ANI )
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