Faridabad: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah today chaired the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council (NZC) in Faridabad, Haryana. The meeting was attended by Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh Gulab Chand Kataria, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Vinai Kumar Saxena, and Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Kavinder Gupta, along with senior ministers from these states and union territories. Union Home Secretary, Secretary of the Inter-State Council Secretariat, Chief Secretaries/Advisors of the member states, and senior officers from state governments as well as various central ministries and departments were also present during the meeting.
At the beginning of the meeting, tributes were paid and two minutes of silence observed in memory of those who lost their lives in the recent car bomb blast in Delhi and the explosion at Nowgam Police Station in Jammu and Kashmir. The Union Home Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, eliminating terrorism from its roots is our collective commitment. He said that in line with the track record of the Modi government so far, the culprits of the Delhi bomb blast will be traced even from the netherworld, brought before the country’s judicial system, and given the strictest possible punishment.
Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision is that strong states create a strong nation, and Zonal Councils play a very important role in translating this into reality on the ground. Zonal Councils are extremely important for dialogue, cooperation, coordination, and “policy synergy.” Many types of problems have been resolved through these councils. He emphasized the continuance of all-out efforts to ensure speedy justice in crimes against women and children and to eradicate malnutrition and stunting. Laying stress on speedy investigation in cases of sexual offenses and rape under the POCSO Act against women and children, he said no civilized society can accept such heinous crimes. The safety of women and children is our top priority, and therefore the number of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) should be increased.
The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the sectors of cooperation, agriculture, and fisheries can become important means of eradicating poverty and providing employment. He said that poverty is being eradicated and employment is increasing through cooperation, agriculture, and fisheries. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mantra of “Sahkar Se Samriddhi” (Prosperity through Cooperation), he said the cooperative sector holds immense potential for employment. Only through growth in employment — especially self-employment — along with Gross Domestic Product can we realise the dream of a Developed India. GDP alone is not an indicator of a country’s prosperity; true prosperity is achieved only when every individual rises above the poverty line. The Government of India’s Ministry of Cooperation has initiated 57 measures across the country to strengthen the cooperative sector. These include computerisation of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), establishment of three new national-level cooperative societies, and the setting up of Tribhuvan Sahkari University.
Amit Shah said that the original spirit and role of Zonal Councils is advisory, but in the last decade they have been accepted as action-oriented platforms and have delivered results. With follow-up, issues between states, between regions and states, and between the Centre and state governments have not only been acknowledged but concrete pathways for their resolution have been created. He said our goal is clear — Regional Strength along with National Progress, and India’s Global Leadership in every field, which will lead us towards the creation of a Great India. He urged all states to work in mutual coordination to resolve water resource management and water-related problems.
The Union Home Minister said that compared to 2004–2014, the number of Zonal Council meetings from 2014 to 2025 has increased by about two-and-a-half times, and these meetings have been made meaningful. He noted that between 2004 and 2014, there were a total of 25 meetings of Zonal Councils and Standing Committees, whereas from 2014 to 2025, 64 such meetings have been held. More than doubling the number of meetings reflects Prime Minister Modi’s concept of TEAM Bharat. In these meetings, 1600 issues were discussed and 1303 issues (81.43%) were resolved — a result of cooperation among state governments, union territories, and central ministries and departments, with the Inter-State Council Secretariat playing an active role.
Amit Shah said that this year marks the 150th anniversary of the creation of Vande Mataram. At one time, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s great composition became the clarion call for India’s freedom. Today, the Government of India and all states are working together to once again make it the call for building a Great India. This effort aims to instil the values of patriotism in the younger generation. He appealed to all states and union territories to rekindle the spirit of patriotism among India’s youth through the Vande Mataram song.
Referring to the implementation of the three new criminal laws, the Union Home Minister said their enforcement has yielded very positive results. Under the new laws, the conviction rate has increased by approximately 25 to 40 percent, and culprits are receiving timely punishment. He said state governments must make further efforts for effective implementation of these laws and requested them to upgrade technology from investigation and forensic analysis to online linking of courts.