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<\/p>\nTFP Bureau,Raipur, May 19, 2026: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah presided over the 26th meeting of the Central Zonal Council held in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, marking a historic moment as the high-level meeting was organized in the region for the first time. The meeting brought together senior representatives from the Central Government and member states of the Central Zone to deliberate on issues related to governance, security, development, and inter-state coordination.<\/p>\n
The meeting was attended by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, along with senior officials from the participating states and the Central Government. The event was organized by the Inter-State Council Secretariat under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and hosted by the Government of Chhattisgarh.<\/p>\n
Addressing the gathering, Amit Shah described the meeting in Bastar as a moment of immense pride and significance. He noted that even before the commencement of the meeting, the entire Bastar region had become free from Naxal influence, which he termed a historic achievement. Shah congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the security forces of the country for their dedication and coordinated efforts in eliminating Naxalism from the region.<\/p>\n
He credited the success to the bravery and tireless efforts of security personnel, as well as the effective coordination between central agencies, state police forces, and the Central Armed Police Forces. According to Shah, intelligence-based operations carried out with precision and the adoption of a comprehensive \u201cWhole of Government Approach\u201d enabled authorities to simultaneously tackle security challenges and accelerate development in areas previously affected by Naxalism.<\/p>\n
The Union Home Minister emphasized that while the region has now become free from Naxal influence, the task ahead is to ensure rapid and inclusive development. He said that many of these areas had lagged behind in development for nearly five decades, and the government\u2019s mission is to bring them at par with the rest of the country. He asserted that the government\u2019s struggle would continue until these regions achieve comparable levels of infrastructure, economic growth, and social development.<\/p>\n
Shah also highlighted that the Central Zonal Council meeting was taking place in a positive and constructive atmosphere because all major disputes among the states of the region and between the states and the Centre had been resolved. He described the absence of pending disputes as a major achievement in strengthening cooperative federalism.<\/p>\n
The Central Zonal Council comprises the states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Shah noted that this zone represents a vast and diverse geographical region extending from the Himalayan belt in the north to the plains of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers and the mineral-rich plateau of central India. The region is rich in forests, minerals, agricultural production, cultural heritage, and major pilgrimage centers, all of which play an important role in the country\u2019s development.<\/p>\n
He further stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Zonal Council meetings have become more consistent, result-oriented, and effective platforms for dialogue and cooperation among states. According to Shah, the frequency of these meetings has increased significantly in recent years. While only 11 Zonal Council meetings were held between 2004 and 2014, the number has risen to 32 between 2014 and 2026. Similarly, the number of Standing Committee meetings increased from 14 in the earlier period to 35 in the current phase.<\/p>\n
Shah also pointed out that the number of issues discussed during these meetings has risen sharply, from 569 issues between 2004 and 2014 to 1,729 issues between 2014 and 2026. Around 80 percent of these issues have already been resolved, while the remaining matters are largely related to monitoring rather than disputes.<\/p>\n
During the meeting, the Union Home Minister urged the participating states to focus on several priority areas, including health, nutrition, education, financial inclusion, and rural development. He called upon all Chief Ministers and Chief Secretaries to work closely with the Government of India in addressing the challenge of malnutrition and improving the overall health indicators of the region.![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thefrontpage24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/a178336b-7d13-4a47-9189-c6ae1c1c0bd6.jpeg\")
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He also stressed the need to reduce school dropout rates and enhance the quality of education in schools. According to Shah, strengthening the education system is essential for ensuring long-term social and economic development.<\/p>\n
The Home Minister highlighted the importance of ensuring the effective implementation of major welfare schemes such as Jal Jeevan Mission and urged states to prepare for the next phase of the program to provide tap water connections to every household. He added that rural development and citizen empowerment initiatives should receive at least half of the focus of government programs.<\/p>\n
Shah also spoke about strengthening the criminal justice system and improving conviction rates in serious crimes. He emphasized that timely DNA testing in cases related to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and rape could significantly increase conviction rates, potentially reaching 100 percent.<\/p>\n
He suggested that High Courts should establish special courts to expedite the disposal of cases that have been pending for more than five years. According to him, swift justice delivery is essential for strengthening public confidence in the legal system.<\/p>\n
The Home Minister also directed the states to upgrade their call centers under the national cybercrime helpline \u20181930\u2019 in accordance with the framework established by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Strengthening cybercrime response mechanisms, he said, is critical in the face of growing digital threats.<\/p>\n
In addition, Shah urged authorities to take strict action against food adulteration and ensure that cases of adulteration are publicized after penalties are imposed so that citizens are aware of such violations.<\/p>\n
He concluded by stating that the implementation of the three new criminal justice codes has progressed well across the country. However, continuous efforts are required to ensure their effective execution. Shah expressed confidence that just as the country has succeeded in eliminating Naxalism, it can also achieve the goal of ensuring that every criminal case reaches its final conclusion up to the Supreme Court level within three years, well before the target year of 2029.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Union Home Minister highlights historic milestone of Bastar becoming Naxal-free, calls for stronger coordination among states to address malnutrition, improve education, strengthen justice delivery, and accelerate regional development.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7418,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[116,118,117],"tags":[1210],"class_list":["post-7414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-chhattishgarh","category-state","tag-central-zonal-council-meeting"],"yoast_head":"\n