Faridabad, Nov 17 (JKNS): Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Monday led the 32nd Northern Zonal Council (NZC) meeting in Faridabad, attended by Chief Ministers of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir, along with the Lieutenant Governors of J&K, Delhi and Ladakh. Senior ministers and top bureaucrats from member states and central ministries were also present.
As per news agency JKNS, At the outset, the meeting observed two minutes of silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the Delhi car bomb explosion and the blast at Nowgam Police Station. Shah reiterated that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the fight against terrorism will remain uncompromising. “We will hunt down the culprits of the Delhi bomb blast even from the depths of the netherworld (patal),” he said, assuring the strictest punishment.
Calling the NZC an essential platform for coordination among states and UTs, Shah said the councils have significantly strengthened policy alignment and dispute resolution. He added that the number of meetings has dramatically increased since 2014, reflecting the Centre’s strong focus on cooperative federalism. As per official figures shared during the session, 1600 issues have been discussed so far, with 1303 successfully resolved.
The Home Minister highlighted unresolved challenges such as malnutrition, stunting and delays in justice for crimes against women and children. He pushed for increasing the number of Fast Track Special Courts and ensuring speedy trials under POCSO and other sexual-offence laws.
Shah also underlined the growing role of the cooperative, agricultural and fisheries sectors in boosting employment and reducing poverty. Referring to the government’s “Sahkar Se Samriddhi” initiative, he said the cooperative sector has the potential to create widespread self-employment opportunities. He noted that 57 major reforms have already been rolled out by the Ministry of Cooperation.
Touching upon national heritage, the Home Minister recalled the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, urging states to revive patriotic traditions among the younger generation. He asked states to expand millet production and consumption, including within food-grain entitlement schemes, for better public health outcomes.
The meeting also reviewed issues related to water resources, ERSS-112, higher-education reforms, banking access, dropout reduction, urban planning, and forensic and judicial digital upgrades under the new criminal-law regime. (JKNS)
