Q. With reference to the Zonal Councils, consider the following statements:
1. They are established under the State’s Reorganisation Act of 1956.
2. The Prime Minister is the common chairman of all the zonal councils.
3. Union Territories are not represented in the zonal councils.
4. They are only advisory in nature.
How many of the above statements are incorrect?
Exp) Option b is the correct answer.
Statement 1 is correct. The Zonal Councils are not constitutional bodies. They are established by the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. The act divided the country into five zones (Northern, Central, Eastern, Western and Southern) and provided a zonal council for each zone.
Statement 2 is incorrect. The Home Minister of Central government is the common chairman of the five zonal councils. Each chief minister acts as a vice-chairman of the council by rotation, holding office for a period of one year at a time.
Statement 3 is incorrect. Union Territories are represented in the zonal councils.
Each zonal council consists of the following members:
(a) home minister of Central government.
(b) chief ministers of all the States in the zone.
(c) two other ministers from each state in the zone.
(d) administrator of each union territory in the zone. Statement 4 is correct. The zonal councils are only deliberative and advisory bodies.
