Faridabad

Urging a collective commitment to root out terrorism in the 32nd Northern Zonal Council meeting, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday asserted to trace the culprits of the Delhi bomb blast even from the "netherworld", brought before the country's judicial system, and ensure the strictest punishment to them.

At the beginning of the meeting, Shah along with the Chief Minister and Lieutenant Governors as well as an administrator of member states and the Union Territories (UTs) paid tributes and held two minutes of silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the November 10 deadly car bomb blast took place near iconic Red Fort in Delhi and the November 14 explosion at Nowgam Police Station in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing the gathering, Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, eliminating terrorism from its roots is our collective commitment.

The Minister, as per a Home Ministry statement, said that in line with the track record of the Modi government so far, "the culprits of the Delhi bomb blast will be traced even from the netherworld, brought before the country's judicial system, and given the strictest possible punishment."

A total of 15 people lost their lives while 32 people sustained injuries in the blast, which occurred around 7 pm on November 10 in a moving Hyundai i20 car being driven by a suicide bomber.

However, nine people lost their lives, 32 people, including 27 policemen personnel, two revenue officials, and three civilians, sustained injuries in the Nowgam Police station blast that occurred around 11.20 pm on November 14 while examining some explosives recovered from terrorists during raids carried out by the agencies in Haryana's Faridabad, following the Delhi car blast incident.

Chairing the meeting, Shah said Modi's vision is that strong states create a strong nation, and Zonal Councils play a very important role in translating this into reality on the ground.

"Zonal Councils are extremely important for dialogue, cooperation, coordination, and 'policy synergy'. Many types of problems have been resolved through these councils," said the Home Minister.

Shah said that even now, there are several issues, such as delays in ensuring speedy justice in crimes against women and children, malnutrition, and stunting, that the country needs to be freed from.

Emphasising speedy investigation in cases of sexual offences and rape under the POCSO Act against women and children, Shah said that no civilised society can accept such heinous crimes.

Shah said that the safety of women and children is our top priority; for this, the number of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) should be increased.

He said the sectors of cooperation, agriculture and fisheries can become important means of eradicating poverty and providing employment.

The Minister further said that poverty is being eradicated and employment is increasing through cooperation, agriculture, and fisheries.

Referring to Prime Minister Modi's mantra of "Sahkar Se Samriddhi" (prosperity through cooperation), Shah said that the cooperative sector holds immense potential for employment.

He said that only through growth in employment, especially self-employment, along with Gross Domestic Product, can we realise the dream of a Developed India, and that GDP alone is not an indicator of a country's prosperity; true prosperity is achieved only when every individual rises above the poverty line.

The Home Minister emphasised that "all states should work in mutual coordination to resolve water resource management and water-related problems."

He also said that compared to 2004-2014, the number of Zonal Council meetings from 2014 to 2025 has increased by about two-and-a-half times, and "we have made these meetings meaningful."

He said that between 2004 and 2014, there were a total of 25 meetings of Zonal Councils and Standing Committees, whereas from 2014 to 2025 till now, 64 sessions have been held. He said that more than doubling the number of meetings reflects Prime Minister Modi's concept of TEAM Bharat.

In these meetings, Shah stated that 1,600 issues were discussed and 1,303 issues (81.43 per cent) were resolved. "This has been possible due to the cooperation of all state governments, union territories, and central ministries and departments, with the Inter-State Council Secretariat playing an active role."

In the meeting, along with issues of the member states, several extremely important national issues were also discussed, which included the implementation of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) for speedy investigation and prompt disposal of rape cases against women and children, availability of brick-and-mortar banking within the designated radius of every village, issues related to water sharing, environment, higher education, etc., the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112), and other matters of common interest at the regional level.

In addition, six issues of national importance were included in the agenda, which are urban master planning, power supply system, strengthening of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACSs), eliminating malnutrition in children through the 'Poshan Abhiyan', reducing school dropout rates, and participation of public hospitals in the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.

The meeting was attended by Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh Gulab Chand Kataria, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Vinai Kumar Saxena, and Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Kavinder Gupta, along with senior ministers from these states and union territories.

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Union Home Secretary, Secretary of the Inter-State Council Secretariat, chief secretaries and advisors of the member states, and senior officers from state governments, as well as various central ministries and departments, were also present during the meeting.