New Delhi: Interlinking of rivers, procurement of agri-product in MSP are a host of issues discussed at the Northern Zonal Council meeting held here Saturday.
The meeting, chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, also discussed issues like eco-sensitive zone, air pollution in Delhi and setting up Homes for the intellectually impaired /mentally challenged in all Northern states.
The 27th meeting of the Northern Zonal Council, held after three years, attended by Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister of Punjab Prakash Singh Badal, Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal, Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Nirmal Singh and representatives of Rajasthan and Delhi and the Advisor to the Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh, an official release said.
In his opening remarks, the Home Minister said the Inter State Council meeting is crucial for the strengthening of the Centre-State relations.
Cooperative Federalism must be strong and the Centre has to work for strengthening the States, he said.
Singh said the Tulsi commission report should be implemented to strengthen the Centre-State relations.
The meeting of the Council indicated the resolve of the NDA government at the Centre to revitalise the statutory institutional mechanism of the Zonal Councils and the Inter- State Council for promoting cooperative federalism in the country, release said.
Today's meeting reviewed the progress of the implementation of the recommendations made at the last meeting of the Council held at Chandigarh in July 2012.
The Council also took up for discussion several social, economic and development issues which have currently assumed importance in the context of inter-state and centre-state relations.
The present government is keen to give due importance to Inter-State and Centre-State issues through reactivation of the Zonal Councils and the Inter-State Council, the release said.
The Government realises the immense potential of these statutory institutions in resolving regional issues, speeding up economic development of States, ensuring inclusive growth and sustainable development of all regions in a balanced manner, and promoting the goal of cooperative federalism.
All the Chief Ministers and the Ministers have also addressed the meeting.
The meeting of the Council ended with the decision to convene its next meeting at the earliest.
The Home Minister thanked all the participants and assured the member States of the Northern Zonal Council of all possible cooperation from the Council Secretariat.
