Amit Shah Chairs Western Zonal Council Meet in Goa; Focus on Inter-State Ties
Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the 28th Western Zonal Council meeting in Goa on September 7, 2026.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the 28th meeting of the Western Zonal Council in Goa on Monday, September 7, 2026. The session, which began at 11 a.m. at a hotel near Panaji, brought together the Chief Ministers of Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, along with the Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, and Administrator Praful Patel participated in the deliberations. Senior officials from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the respective state governments were also present.
The agenda for the meeting centred on inter-state coordination, cooperative governance, and the exchange of best practices among the member states and Union Territory. Presentations by the Inter-State Council Secretariat and delegations from the participating regions formed part of the proceedings.
The Western Zonal Council comprises Goa, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, along with the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. These councils were established under Sections 15 to 22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. Mr. Shah serves as the chairman of the council, while the Chief Minister of Goa currently holds the vice-chairmanship, a position that rotates annually among the member states' Chief Ministers.
A Standing Committee at the level of chief secretaries handles issues proposed by the states. Matters that remain unresolved after these discussions are placed before the Zonal Council for consideration. While the council's role is advisory, officials noted that it has emerged as a significant platform for fostering mutual understanding and cooperation across various sectors.
Mr. Shah is on a three-day visit to Goa. On Sunday, he chaired a meeting of the Union Home Affairs Ministry focused on achieving a drug-free country and announced a roadmap to address the narcotics menace as part of the Viksit Bharat initiative.