The serious challenges the country is facing from Left wing Extremism has to be countered by the States collectively and effectively, said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Addressing the 26 meeting of the Southern Zonal Council consisting of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana states and Puducherry (UT) after inaugurating it here on Saturday the Mr Singh said there was a need to strengthen the coastal security of the southern states.
The Minister stressed the importance of cooperative federalism he said the institutions of Zonal Councils and Inter-State Council had immense potential to resolve a slew of nagging problems between Centre and States and also among the States through healthy discussions.
The Minister informed the participants that the Government had been able to hold the meetings of all Zonal Councils in this calendar year. All meetings of the Standing Committees of the Zonal Councils had also been convened before the meetings of the Zonal Councils.
The reconstitution of the Inter-State Council which was pending for a very long time was completed recently, he said.
The meeting was attended by the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Home Minister of Karnataka, Water Resources Minister of Kerala, Finance and PWD Minister of Tamil Nadu, Home and Labour Minister, Finance and Civil Supplies Ministers of Telangana and Lt.Governor of Puducherry.
The council discussed issues like coastal security, peninsular region industrial corridor, introduction of peninsular tourism trains, coordinated and uniform approach in granting industrial incentives, finalising the inter-state reciprocal transport agreement, curding the excess use of pesticides and ripening agents on fruits and vegetables, maintaining uniform standards in the courses of nursing and allied health services and power transmission lines.
Earlier the Union Home Minister expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the victims whose lives were lost in the recent floods witnessed in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh. He said the Union Government would do everything possible to alleviate the suffering of the people affected.
