Shah chairs 32nd Northern Zonal Council meeting
Faridabad: Union Home and Cooperation minister Amit Shah on Monday chaired the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council in Faridabad, bringing together chief ministers and senior officials from Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi, and Ladakh to discuss a range of issues.
The meeting opened with a two-minute silence to respect those killed in the recent car blast near the Red Fort and the accidental explosion at Nowgam Police Station in Jammu & Kashmir. Reiterating the Centre’s resolve to combat terrorism, Shah said the government was committed to eliminating the menace “from its roots” and assured that those responsible for the Delhi blast would face the “strictest punishment.”
Shah underscored the growing importance of Zonal Councils in fostering cooperation, aligning policies, and resolving inter-state disputes. He noted that several national-level challenges — including delayed justice in crimes against women and children, malnutrition, and stunting — required coordinated efforts. Calling for expeditious probes in sexual-offence and POCSO cases, he urged states to increase the number of Fast Track Special Courts.
On economic priorities, the Home minister highlighted agriculture, fisheries, and the cooperative sector as key engines for employment and poverty reduction. He said the government’s “prosperity through cooperation” approach was reflected in 57 measures taken to strengthen the cooperative ecosystem, including PACS computerisation, three new national-level cooperative societies, and the establishment of a cooperative university.
Shah noted that Zonal Councils have transformed into highly result-oriented platforms over the last decade. Between 2014 and 2025, 64 meetings of zonal councils and standing committees were held — more than double the number in the previous decade — with 1,303 of 1,600 issues resolved, which he described as the success of “TEAM Bharat.”
Invoking the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, Shah appealed to states to integrate patriotic themes into youth and cultural initiatives.
