Due to the coronavirus epidemic, the conference, which Union Home Minister Amit Shah will lead, will be conducted after a two-year hiatus.
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Officials said a meeting of the Western Zonal Council, which includes Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, and the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman, and Diu, will be held in Diu on Saturday. The conference, which Union Home Minister Amit Shah will lead, will take place after a two-year hiatus caused by the coronavirus epidemic and will be attended by the chief ministers of Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Goa, and the administrators of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, as well as Daman and Diu.
According to an official, the zonal council would debate various topics, including border difficulties, security, and infrastructure challenges such as roads, transportation, industries, water, and power. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized the need to combine cooperative and competitive efforts.
The home minister, too, has emphasized the necessity of cooperative federalism in empowering states and promoting a better understanding of the policy framework between the Centre and the states. Another official stated that the zonal councils give a platform to enhance such collaboration by providing a structured method for constant interaction and discussion on issues impacting two or more states or the Centre and states, in the belief that strong states build a strong nation.
In the past, Shah has emphasized the need to use the zonal council forum to resolve conflicts and promote cooperative federalism. Because all western states have marine borders, concerns relating to coastal security are likely to come up often.
Gujarat has a 1,214-kilometer coastline, Maharashtra 652 kilometers; Goa 105 kilometers; and Dadra and Nagar Haveli; Daman and Diu 42 kilometers. The zonal councils deal with matters affecting the center, states, and one or more states within the zone. As a result, the councils serve as a platform for resolving disagreements and irritants between the Centre and states as well as between states in the zone.
The governor nominates two additional ministers from each state as members.