Amit Shah to chair Western Zonal Council meeting in Gandhinagar today

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will on Monday chair a meeting of the Western Zonal Council in Gandhinagar where various issues like speedy investigation in cases of sexual offence and rape and matters related to infrastructure and environment are likely to come up for discussion.

The Western Zonal Council comprises Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and the Union Territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, an official release said.

The meeting will be attended by chief ministers, ministers, chief secretaries, principal secretaries and senior officers of member states and central government, it said.

The meeting is likely to discuss issues like speedy investigation in cases of sexual offence and rape against women and children, implementation of the scheme of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) for expeditious disposal of rape and POCSO Act cases, as well as issues of common interest in areas of road connectivity, power, industries and other matters.

Facilitation of banks and India Post Payment Bank branches within 5 km in each village, addressing malnutrition among children through Poshan Abhiyan, reducing drop-out rate of school children, participation of government hospitals in Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and issues of general interest at national level are also likely to be discussed at the meeting.

According to the established procedure and practice, the meeting is preceded by a standing committee of the council where the agenda items to be placed before the council are scrutinised and prioritised.

The Narendra Modi government has been regularly holding meetings of zonal councils as part of its overall strategy to strengthen and promote cooperative and competitive federalism in the country, officials said.

The regional councils provide a forum for discussion in a structured manner on issues affecting one or more states or issues between the Centre and the states.

The meetings of the zonal councils are used by the states and Union territories to share their best practices.