Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Saturday presided over the 25th Eastern Zonal Council meeting in Kolkata. The chief ministers of West Bengal and Jharkhand, the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, ministers from Odisha, and other top officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Council attended the meeting.
"The Union Home Minister said that left-wing extremism has almost been eliminated from the eastern region of the country and efforts should be made to sustain this decisive dominance over left-wing extremism," according to an official statement issued by the MHA.
He emphasised the importance of continuing efforts to ensure that extremism does not resurface in LWE-free states and that these states develop in line with the rest of the country.
"The Union Home Minister urged the chief minister to ensure the creation of a district-level structure of the NCORD mechanism and its regular meetings for the prevention of narcotics. He said the fight against drugs in the country is now at a crucial stage and there is a need to accelerate the campaign against drugs with the help of Artificial Intelligence," the statement said.
Amit Shah also asked state chief executives to display their states' cultural uniqueness and tourist attractions to the world at various G-20-related events that will take place in their states over the coming year, according to news agency ANI.
In his inaugural address, the Union Home Minister stated that over the last eight years, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, more than 1,000 issues have been discussed in zonal council meetings, with 93 percent of them resolved, which is a great accomplishment, according to the statement.
He stated that from 2006 to 2013, the zonal councils held a total of 6 sessions (an average of fewer than one meeting per year), but that in the 8 years following 2014, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, a total of 23 meetings (including today's conference) have been held (an average of 3 meetings per year).
Shah stated that the frequency of zonal council meetings has increased significantly, and the effects are obvious, thanks to the participation of all state governments, central ministries, and departments, with the inter-state council secretariat playing an active role, as per the statement.
Amit Shah added that "the Union government under the leadership of PM Modi has done a lot of work in the last years in the direction of strengthening infrastructure in the States of the Eastern region," according to the statement.
He stated that the eastern states have a significant stake in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Gati Shakti Scheme, as PM Modi has always prioritised the development of this region. Shah stated that the Eastern area of the country will play a major role in India's development during the next 25 years, during the Azadi ka Amrit Kaal.
The 25th Eastern Zonal Council meeting, according to Amit Shah, was held in a nice and positive atmosphere, and a consensus was achieved on many issues, while lingering issues would also be resolved through consultations, according to the official statement.