Zonal Councils

News: Recently, Union Home Minister Amit Shah presided over the 27th meeting of the Western Zonal Council in Pune.

About Zonal Councils

• Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru introduced the concept of zonal councils in 1956 during the debate on the States Reorganisation Commission report.
• It was introduced as a mechanism to promote inter-state cooperation and resolve issues arising from state linguistic reorganizations.
• These councils serve as advisory and cooperative platforms between states and the Centre.

Composition of Zonal Councils

Each Zonal Council consists of:

• Union Home Minister – Chairman of all councils.
• Chief Ministers of the states in a zone – Vice-Chairman (on a rotational basis for one year).
• Two Ministers from each state – Nominated by the respective Governor.
• Two representatives from Union Territories in the zone.
• One Planning Commission nominee for each council.
• Chief Secretaries and senior officials from the states.
• Standing Committees
  • Each council has a Standing Committee comprising Chief Secretaries of member states.
  • These committees meet periodically to resolve issues and prepare the groundwork for council meetings.
  • Representatives from Central Ministries and NITI Aayog attend based on necessity.

Functions and Role of Zonal Councils

• It acts as a platform for resolving Centre-State and inter-state disputes.
• It facilitates regional cooperation in economic and social planning.
• It discusses and resolves issues related to:
  • Border disputes.
  • Linguistic minorities.
  • Inter-state transport
  • Other matters under the States Reorganisation Act.
• It fosters cooperative and competitive federalism.