Inter-State Council meet tomorrow; PM to interact with CMs

Convened after a gap of 10 years, the council meeting will see Modi, along with 17 Union ministers interacting with all chief ministers

A meeting of the Inter-State Council, convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will deliberate on issues of internal security, economic and social planning, and inter-state relations among other issues on Saturday.

The meeting is expected to be attended by all chief ministers.

Convened after a gap of 10 years, the Inter-State Council meeting will see Modi, along with 17 Union ministers, for the first time interacting with all chief ministers on a single platform ever since he assumed the charge two years ago.

Issues that will figure in the conference include recommendations of the Punchhi Commission on Centre-State relations, use of Aadhaar as an identifier and use of Direct Benefit Transfer for providing subsidies, benefits and public services, improving quality of school education with focus on improving learning outcomes, incentivising better performance, and internal security.

The meeting comes amid the ongoing turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir, where at least 36 people have lost their lives following violent protests after Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter last week.

The last meeting of the Inter-State Council was held in 2006. The UPA government had convened just two meetings in its 10-year tenure.

The Modi government has revived the Inter-State Council structure after assuming office in May 2014. Home Minister Rajnath Singh had chaired meetings of all the five zonal councils over the last one year in various parts of the country in which chief ministers of states of the respective zones took part.

The Inter-State Council was established under Article 263 of the Constitution through a Presidential Order dated May 28, 1990.

It is a recommendatory body with duties to investigate and discuss the subjects of common interest between the Union and state(s) or among the states, making recommendations particularly for better coordination of policy and action on these subjects and deliberating upon such other matters of general interest to the states which may be referred to it by its chairman.

The Council also deliberates upon such other matters of general interest to the states as may be referred by the chairman to the Council.

A Standing Committee of the Inter-State Council has been constituted for continuous consultation and processing of matters for the consideration of the Council.

The Standing Committee comprises Union Home Minister as the Chairman and five Union ministers of Cabinet rank and nine chief ministers as members nominated by the Chairman of the Inter-State Council.

Apart from the Home Minister, other Union ministers who will attend the meeting — Sushma Swaraj (External Affairs), Arun Jaitley (Finance), M Venkaiah Naidu (Urban Development), Nitin Gadkari (Road Transport) and Manohar Parrikar (Defence) — are all nominated members of the council.

Eleven other Union ministers are permanent invitees to the Council.