Bhubaneswar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair the Eastern Zonal Council Meeting aimed to review the law and order situation in the eastern region on February 12 in Bhubaneswar.
The Chief Minister of five States – Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Sikkim will be attending the meeting of the Council. Ministers, Chief Secretaries and senior officials of the concerned States besides the senior officers of the Union Government will also attend the meeting.
The Chief Minister of Odisha is the Vice-Chairman and host for the meeting.
“Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Odisha on February 12 to chair the Eastern Zonal Council meeting in Bhubaneswar. He is also scheduled to attend a party programme in Bhubaneswar,” informed senior BJP leader Prithviraj Harichandan on here on Sunday.
Five Zonal Councils were set up in 1957 under Section 15-22 of the States Re-Organisation Act 1956.
As per the provision, the Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each of these five Zonal Councils and Chief Ministers of the host State (to be chosen by routine every year) is the Vice-Chairman. Two more Ministers from each State are nominated as Members by the Governor.
The Council takes up issues involving Centre and States. The Zonal Councils provide a forum for resolving disputes and irritants between Centre and States and among many States in the Zone. The Zonal Councils discuss broad range of issues which include boundary related disputes, security, infrastructure related matters like road, transport, industries, water and power, matters pertaining to forests and environment, housing, education, food security, tourism and transport.