New Delhi [India], November 17 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday chaired the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council in Faridabad and said the zonal councils have ensured policy synergy among states through cooperation, realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'strong state, strong nation'.
"Chaired the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council. Realising Modi Ji's vision of 'strong state, strong nation,' the zonal councils have ensured policy synergy among states through dialogue, cooperation, and coordination, fueling India on the path to regional strength, national progress, and global leadership," PM Modi said in a post on X.
He said instructions have been issued to increase the number of Fast Track Special Courts to ensure faster delivery of justice to women and children.
According to an official release, 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.
He emphasised the continuance of all-out efforts to ensure speedy justice in crimes against women and children and also eradicate malnutrition and stunting. Laying stress on speedy investigation in cases of sexual offenses and rape under the POCSO Act against women and children, Shah said that no civilized society can accept such heinous crimes. He said that the safety of women and children is top priority, for this the number of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) should be increased.
Amit Shah 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 Shri Narendra Modi's mantra of "Sahkar Se Samriddhi" (Prosperity through Cooperation), Shri Shah said that the cooperative sector holds immense potential for employment. He said that only through growth in employment -- especially self-employment -- along with Gross Domestic Product can we realise the dream of a Developed India.
The Union Minister said that GDP alone is not an indicator of a country's prosperity; true prosperity is achieved only when every individual rises above the poverty line. He said that 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. He said that with follow-up, we have not only accepted issues between states, between regions and states, and between the Centre and state governments, but also created concrete pathways for their resolution.
He said that 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. The Home Minister said that all states should work in mutual coordination to resolve water resource management and water-related problems.
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 we have made these meetings meaningful. He said that between 2004 and 2014 there were a total of 25 meetings of Zonal Councils and Standing Committees, whereas from 2014 to 2025 till now, 64 meetings have been held. He said that 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. This has been possible due to the cooperation of all 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 Vande Mataram became the clarion call for country's freedom. Today, the Government of India and all states are working together to once again make it the clarion call for building a Great India. He said that this is an effort to instil the values of patriotism in India's younger generation. Amit Shah appealed to all states and union territories to rekindle the spirit of patriotism among the country's youth through the Vande Mataram song.