Home Minister Amit Shah to chair 27th Eastern Zonal Council meeting in Ranchi with eastern states representatives from Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, and West Bengal.

About Zonal Council

• Zonal Councils are statutory (not Constitutional) regional forums set up under the States Reorganization Act, 1956, aimed at fostering coordination among states and between states and the Centre.
• Origin: The idea of Zonal Councils was proposed by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1956 during debates on the States Reorganisation Commission (Fazal Ali Commission, 1953) report
• Structure: There are five Zonal Councils, Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western, and Central.
  • Members: Each Zonal Council comprises the Chief Ministers and Governors of the member states, along with two ministers from each state nominated by the respective Chief Minister.
  • Chairmanship: The Union Home Minister serves as the Chairman of all Zonal Councils, while each Chief Minister from a member state can act as a Vice-Chairman on a rotational basis.
  • Advisors: A representative from NITI Aayog, Chief Secretaries, and Development Commissioners of the member states.
• Primary Role: These councils address issues such as economic planning, resource management, and interstate disputes.
  • They discuss policies affecting regional growth and governance.
• Evolution: Over time, the Zonal Councils have played a significant role in fostering inter-governmental dialogue and resolving contentious issues like water-sharing agreements and infrastructure development.
• The North Eastern region has a separate council, the North Eastern Council, created in 1972, set up under the North Eastern Council Act, 1972.

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