Union Home Minister Amit Shah met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay in Chennai on Wednesday ahead of the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting in Kovalam, Chengalpattu district, on Thursday.
In a post on X, Shah shared photographs from his meeting with Vijay ahead of the council meeting. It was the first meeting between the two after Vijay assumed office as Chief Minister in May.
The Southern Zonal Council comprises Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, along with the Union Territories of Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.
At the Southern Zonal Council meeting on Thursday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah was felicitated by Tamil Nadu CM Vijay.
The council provides a forum for the centre and states to resolve inter-state issues and strengthen regional cooperation. As per media reports, several contentious issues are expected to come up for discussion, including river water-sharing disputes involving Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
According to an India Today report, the meeting will also discuss the functioning of Fast Track Special Courts for the speedy investigation and disposal of cases involving crimes against women and children, including rape, as well as issues related to education. Meanwhile, other matters of common regional interest likely to figure in the deliberations include issues arising from the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, water-sharing arrangements, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin and civil aviation.
The 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting is being organised by the Inter-State Council Secretariat under the Ministry of Home Affairs, with the Tamil Nadu government hosting the event. Shah is chairing the meeting, while Vijay, as the Chief Minister of the host state, will serve as the council's vice-chairman. Chief Ministers of the participating states, along with Lieutenant Governors and Administrators of the Union Territories, are attending the event.
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