Western Zonal Council to meet tomorrow in Mumbai

The 22nd meeting of the Western Zonal Council, a forum for the Centre and the states to cooperate and exchange ideas and experiences on issues related to health, security and social welfare, will be held in Mumbai tomorrow.
The meeting will be chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and chief ministers of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa besides the administrators of the Union Territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli will participate in it.
Common interests pertaining to infrastructure, health, security, social welfare, linguistic minorities, border disputes etc., may be discussed and action taken.
Issues related to regional development of infrastructure for giving a boost to urban housing sector, construction of bridges, issuance of biometric identity cards and card-readers to fishermen are likely to be discussed at tomorrow's meeting.

The states have been divided into five zones and each zone has its council comprising the chief minister, two ministers and the chief secretary of each state.
The zonal councils are headed by the Union Home Minister and each zone nominates one chief minister as its vice-chairman on rotation basis.
The zonal councils provide a forum where irritants between the Centre and states and amongst the states themselves can be resolved through free and frank discussion and consultations.
Being advisory bodies, there is full scope for free exchange of views at these meetings.