Union Home Minister Amit Shah presided over the 28th meeting of the Western Zonal Council in Panaji on Sunday, bringing together chief ministers, administrators, and senior bureaucratic delegations from across western India.
The high-level conclave focused on strengthening inter-state administrative synergy across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. Central discussions centered on modernizing joint coastal security grids, sharing real-time marine intelligence, resolving contentious river basin water-sharing agreements, and expanding institutional child protection frameworks.
Shah emphasized that zonal councils function as indispensable cooperative instruments for resolving longstanding inter-state friction without protracted judicial intervention. He urged participating state administrations to fast-track forensic infrastructure upgrades and integrate local police databases directly into the central Inter-operable Criminal Justice System platform.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant highlighted regional maritime surveillance requirements, advocating for dedicated federal funding to modernize coastal fish landing centers with biometric identity scanners and automated automated vessel identification systems. Representatives from Gujarat and Maharashtra shared collaborative blueprints on joint emergency disaster management during Arabian Sea cyclonic storms.
The council formally resolved forty-two agenda points during the five-hour deliberation, establishing specialized technical sub-committees to monitor road connectivity corridors linking port industrial hubs across Maharashtra and Gujarat. Participating leaders agreed to conduct bi-monthly operational reviews to monitor the physical execution of agreed developmental targets.
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Sources:
https://www.thehindu.com/news/top-news-of-the-day-september-7-2026-owner-nabbed-after-delhi-building-collapse-nepal-floods-death-toll-reaches-1355/article71438631.ece