DONA PAULA — Union Home Minister Amit Shah convened the 28th Western Zonal Council session in Dona Paula, Goa, bringing together executive leaders and senior administrators from Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
Hosted by the Government of Goa and facilitated by the Inter-State Council Secretariat under the Ministry of Home Affairs, the forum addressed strategic inter-state policy coordination, regional security protocols, and shared economic infrastructure goals.
Organizational Architecture & Governance Metrics
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Executive Leadership:
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Council Chairmanship: Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
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Rotational Vice-Chairmanship: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, serving in accordance with the annual state-rotation policy.
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Administrative Representation: Attended by regional Chief Ministers, designated state cabinet ministers, and top-level civil servants from central and state departments.
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Federal Dialogue Record:
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Institutional Mandate: Serves as an advisory framework designed to address cross-jurisdictional challenges, harmonize state-level regulations, and align regional execution with national priorities.
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Meeting Cadence: Formed part of a broader institutional push that has seen 70 Zonal Council and Standing Committee meetings convened across India over the past 12 years.
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Key Administrative & Strategic Focus Areas
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Public Safety & Justice Acceleration:
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Fast-Track Disposal: Directives on expediting investigations into sexual offenses against women and children, monitored alongside the rollout of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs).
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Emergency & Cyber Response: Regional optimization of the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112) and joint institutional measures to counter digital financial fraud and cybercrime.
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Developmental & Structural Priorities:
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Last-Mile Banking Access: Enforcing timelines to establish physical, brick-and-mortar banking infrastructure within targeted distances of all unbanked villages.
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Strategic Sectoral Coordination: Inter-state alignment across power sector reforms, urban planning, digital network rollout, food safety compliance, and the expansion of rural cooperatives.
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