NORTH EASTERN COUNCIL MEETING

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• Prime Minister of India addressed the meeting of the North Eastern Council (NEC) in Shillong,
  • The meeting marks the golden jubilee celebration of the Council, which was formally inaugurated in 1972.
• The Prime Minister refers to the 8 states of the North Eastern region as Asht Lakshmi.
• He stated that the government working on 8 foundation pillars; Peace, Power, Tourism, 5G connectivity, Culture, Natural farming, Sports, and Potential for the development of the region.
• He highlighted that the Northeast is India’s gateway to the South -East Asia and can become a centre for the development of the entire region.
• He highlighted that many peace agreements had been signed, inter-state boundary agreements have been done and there has been a marked reduction in instances of extremism.
• He said that the Northeast can become a powerhouse of hydropower. This will help in the expansion of industries and generate a large number of jobs.
• He mentioned that both culture and nature of the region are attracting tourists from across the world.

Zonal Councils

• Zonal Councils aim to promote collaboration and coordination among states, UTs, and the Union.
• They discuss and give recommendations on several topics.
• They are only consultative and deliberative bodies.
• The States Reorganization Act of 1956 established these statutory entities.
• The country is divided into 5 zones by the Act:
  • Northern Zone
  • Central Zone
  • Eastern Zone
  • Western Zone
  • Southern Zone
• Each zonal council is made up of
  • The Union Home Minister (who acts as a chairman).
  • CM of all States in Zone + 2 other ministers from the states (Each CM acts as a Vice-Chairman by rotation, holding office for 1 year at a time).
  • Administrators of all UTs in the zone.

North-Eastern Council

• A further Act of Parliament, the North-Eastern Council Act of 1971, established a North-Eastern Council in addition to the previous Zonal Councils.
• Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Sikkim are among its members. Its responsibilities are similar to those of zonal councils, with a few exceptions.
• It is required to examine the actions taken by member states to maintain security and public order in the region regularly.

Significance of Zonal council

• Zonal councils help in designing a collaborative strategy through discussions and exchange of views between the Union and States on important issues.
• It takes up issues involving the Union and states or between many states.
• The zonal councils provide a platform for resolving disputes between the Union and the States and among many States.
• Zonal Meetings are used by the Union, States and Union Territories to share their best practices.
• Zonal councils also discuss a wide range of issues, including;
  • Boundary-related disputes.
  • security
  • Infrastructure-related matters like road, transport, industries, water, and power.
  • Forests and environment. 
  • Housing
    
  • Education
  • Food security
  • Tourism
  • Transport

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1884555

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