Amit Shah offer prayers at Lord Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirupati

Union Home Minister Amit Shah offered prayers at the Lord Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala, Tirupati.

"Blessed to have offered prayers at the Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh. May Lord Venkateswara bless everyone with peace and prosperity," tweeted Shah.

He was accompanied by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy during his visit to the temple.

Earlier, CM Reddy accorded a warm welcome to the Home Minister at the Tirupati airport.

Shah reached Tirupati on Saturday to chair 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 today.

According to a press statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Amit Shah has given impetus to this vision of cooperative federalism to empower States and promote a better understanding between the Centre and States in the policy framework. He has emphasised on using the platform of Zonal Council for dispute resolving and promoting cooperative federalism.

The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh is the Vice Chairman and host. Other Chief Ministers from the States in the Zone along with two Ministers each are the Members. Chief Secretaries and senior officers from the State Governments and the Central Government will also attend the meeting.

The Zonal Councils take up issues involving the 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 & 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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