Chandigarh: Home Minister Amit Shah to chair Northern Zonal Council meeting on Sept 20

Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah will chair the 29th meeting of the Northern Zonal Council here on September 20.

The Northern Zonal Council comprises of the states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, National Capital Territory of Delhi and Union Territories of Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

Chief Ministers from the Member States in the Zone along with two Ministers each, Administrators of Union Territories, Chief Secretaries and senior officers from the State Governments and the Central Government will attend the meeting.

The Council takes up issues involving Centre and 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 a broad range of issues which include boundary-related disputes, security, infrastructure-related matters like road, transport, industries, water, power, matters pertaining to forests & environment, housing, education, food security, tourism, transport etc.

Five Zonal Councils were set up in the year 1957 under Section 15-22 of the States Reorgzation Act, 1956. The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each of these five Zonal Councils and Chief Ministers of the host State (to be chosen by routine every year) is the Vice-Chairman. Two more Ministers from each State are nominated as Members by the Governor.

Each Zonal Council meets when the Chairman of the Council decides as per the States Re-orgsation Act. Since their inception in 1957, the Zonal Councils have met 106 times.

The last meeting of Northern Zonal Council was held in Shimla on October 25, 2005.

( With inputs from ANI )