New Delhi/Faridabad: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council in Haryana’s Faridabad on Monday, where key issues related to education, health, electricity, law enforcement and regional coordination are expected to be discussed.
The Northern Zonal Council includes Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Chandigarh. Chief ministers, lieutenant governors, and top officials from the Centre, states and Union territories will attend the meeting.
According to an official statement, zonal councils serve as vital platforms for resolving inter-state disputes, improving coordination and promoting cooperative federalism. Monday’s meeting is likely to focus on national priority matters such as faster investigation of sexual offences against women and children, strengthening Fast Track Special Courts, expanding banking facilities to every village, and enhancing the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112).
Regional concerns including nutrition, education, healthcare services, electricity supply, urban planning and cooperative sector reforms will also be taken up.
The Northern Zonal Council is one of five councils created under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. The Union home minister serves as its chairperson, while the chief minister of Haryana acts as vice-chairperson. Member states are represented by two ministers nominated by their respective governors.
Each council has a permanent committee comprising chief secretaries, which initially reviews issues proposed by states. Matters that remain unresolved are then placed before the full council for further deliberation.
The government said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “TEAM BHARAT” continues to guide the functioning of zonal councils, which have strengthened cooperation between the Centre and states. Over the past 11 years, 63 meetings of zonal councils and their permanent committees have been held, reflecting increasing collaboration across sectors.
