SZC: Better ties mooted in spirit of federalism

The 29th meeting of the Southern Zonal Council held here on Sunday exhorted the need for strong Centre-State and inter-state relations in true spirit of federalism for propelling the country's growth.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who chaired the four-hour-long meeting, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision too was co-operative and competitive federalism to achieve all-round growth in the country.

He said the Zonal Councils were able to successfully resolve many contentious issues among states despite being only advisory in nature.

''In the context of today's meeting, 40 out of 51 pending issues were resolved,'' Shah said in a tweet late in the night.

"The ancient culture, traditions and languages of southern states enrich India's culture and ancient legacy. India's development cannot be imagined without the very important contribution of these states," the Home Minister remarked.

He said the Zonal Councils provided an opportunity for interaction at the highest level among members for resolution of contentious issues.

Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Puducherry, Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, Basavaraj Bommai and N Rangasamy respectively, attended the meeting while those of Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Kerala skipped.

Telangana Governor and Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Admiral D K Joshi, Administrator of Lakshadweep Islands Praful Khoda Patel attended.

Telangana Home Minister Mahmood Ali, Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal and Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi represented their states.

They raised issues concerning their respective states, with the AP CM making a strong pitch for granting special category status to the state.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday stressed on strong Centre-State relations and good inter-state ties for the development of federal democracy.

At the same time, he asserted his state's rights on inter-state rivers like Cauvery, inter-linking of rivers and said Karnataka should get its rightful share in Cauvery, Krishna and Pennar river basins.

Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy wanted the Centre to earmark at least Rs 1,500 crore as additional central assistance to the territorial government in next year's budget to compensate the loss in revenue over GST.

The Telangana government, represented by its Home Minister Mahmood Ali, said it was ready to sort out some pending issues with the AP government in an amicable manner through discussions.

Tamil Nadu government raised the issue of size and capacity of fishing boats to be used in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone and the transfer of railway lands for Metro Rail projects while Kerala presented its case for prevention of antimicrobial resistance by regulating their use and prevention and control of non-communicable diseases.

SZC vice-chairman and host Jagan Mohan Reddy took up various pending issues related to the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 and sought speedy resolution of issues with Telangana, with the intervention of the Centre.

Shah responded positively to this and directed the Central ministries concerned to prepare an action plan within a month for division of assets between AP and Telangana in accordance with the Act.

Summing up, the Home Minister asked the states to give top priority and address the menace of drugs and check their spread.

"Chief Ministers should give priority to addressing the menace and spread of narcotics, as drug usage destroys the lives and potential of our youth," Shah said and also asked them to have "zero tolerance" to child sexual abuse cases as crimes against children were unacceptable.

The event ended with a dinner hosted by the AP Chief Minister to the visiting dignitaries.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)