Panaji: Union home minister Amit Shah arrived in Goa on Saturday for a two-day visit ahead of the Western Zonal Council meeting, which he will chair on Monday. The Western Zonal Council includes Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra, along with the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.Apart from the council meeting, Shah is expected to hold a series of marathon discussions with chief minister Pramod Sawant, BJP’s core committee, ministers and MLAs. The focus is likely to be on reviewing govt’s performance, tightening internal coordination and sharpening the party’s campaign roadmap.Five zonal councils, including the Western Zonal Council, were established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. These councils take up broad issues of national importance. The agenda for the meeting includes expediting investigations in rape cases involving women and children, and reviewing the implementation of fast track special courts (FTSCs) for faster disposal of such cases.The council will also deliberate on the emergency response support system, food safety standards, and the provision of brick-and-mortar banking facilities within a designated radius of every village. Other issues on the table include nutrition, education, health, power sector reforms, urban planning, strengthening the cooperative system, cybercrime and digital infrastructure, among others.Shah is the chairperson of the Western Zonal Council, while the chief minister of Goa serves as its vice-chairperson. The meeting is being organised by the interstate council secretariat under the ministry of home affairs.The council also has a standing committee of chief secretaries. Issues proposed by states are first discussed by this committee, and those that remain unresolved are then taken up at the zonal council meeting for consideration.Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasised the need to harness cooperative and competitive federalism to achieve all-round development. Reflecting the idea that strong states make a strong nation, the zonal councils offer a structured forum for dialogue on matters affecting two or more states, or Centre and the states together, and for strengthening cooperation. While their role is advisory, in recent years they have emerged as an important platform for building understanding and collaboration across sectors.
