Amritsar, September 26: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah said Tuesday that the federal government has effectively cracked down on drugs and terrorism under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
While chairing the 31st meeting of the Northern Zonal Council in Amritsar, Punjab, the union home minister reportedly said, “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has been successful in cracking down on narcotics and terrorism.” The statement was issued by the Press Information Bureau.
He promised that anti-drone technology would soon be placed on the country’s borders as part of the Modi government’s efforts to bolster border security.
In addition to the Union Home Secretary, the Secretary of the Inter-State Council Secretariat, the Chief Secretaries of the member states in the Northern Zone, and other senior officers from the states and union territories and central ministries and departments, the meeting was also attended by the Lt Governors of Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, the Administrator of Chandigarh, and other senior ministers from member states.
Shah urged the countries of the Northern Zonal Council to get down and talk out their differences over water allocation.
He said that the function of zonal councils has shifted from advising to action platforms in the previous five years under PM Modi’s leadership.
With 21% of the land and 13% of the people, and with over 35% of the food grains produced in the area, the Union Home Minister said that the Northern Zonal Council played an essential role in the growth and security of the nation.
According to him, the bulk of the soldiers and police officers that patrol the northern border are from the states and UTs that make up the Northern Zonal Council.
The cooperation movement in the nation, the dropout rate of children, and starvation are concerns that Shah has encouraged all member states to prioritise.
There should be no hungry children in the nation, he added; everyone should work to lower the school dropout rate; and the cooperative movement should be given new life in order to lead the country’s 60 crore people to economic success.
The union’s interior minister has strongly recommended that all member states transition to organic and natural agricultural practices.
He told the government of Himachal Pradesh that the whole nation was standing behind Himachal in this time of disaster and promised to provide all possible assistance from the Centre to cope with the flooding situation in the state.
The Union Home Minister requested that the Northern Zonal Council express its delight at the remarkable success of Chandrayaan-3, the global recognition of India’s leadership and global welfare at the G20 Summit, and the passage of the historic Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament.
He said that the Zonal Councils, despite their consultative nature, had proven to be a vital component in fostering strong relationships of mutual understanding and collaboration in a variety of contexts throughout the years.
The Zonal Councils allow for high-level members to connect with one another and serve as a helpful venue for settling complicated and contentious matters in an environment of mutual respect and goodwill.
The Zonal Councils promote a coordinated approach among the States by providing a forum for the debate and exchange of ideas on crucial topics related to socioeconomic development.
The Zonal Councils also meet to deliberate and give suggestions on matters of interstate concern.
According to the union home minister, the Inter-State Council Secretariat of the Ministry of Home Affairs is currently routinely convening the sessions of the five zonal councils with the assistance of the state governments.
According to him, the Zonal Councils and their Standing Committees have been holding much more meetings than before.
“Since June 2014, in the last 10 years, a total of 54 meetings of the Zonal Council and its Standing Committee have been held, making the frequency more than double in comparison to the meetings held during the 10 years from the year 2004 to May 2014,” Shah added.
At its 31st meeting, held in Amritsar, the Northern Zonal Council tackled a whopping 28 different topics.
Sharing of inter-state river waters, bank branch coverage in rural areas, postal banking services, direct benefit transfer for social sector schemes, problems at Punjab University, PMGSY road connectivity, cybercrime prevention, the Jal Jeevan Mission, resuming flights under the UDAN scheme, and swift investigations into terrorist attacks were all cited as issues of critical importance to the member states and the country as a whole.
Successful policies implemented by Union states and territories were also discussed.
