Amit Shah chairs SZC meet in Tirupati

The 29th meeting of the Southern Zonal Council began in this temple-town Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday wherein 26 items, including four proposed by the Centre, are being taken up for discussion among the southern states and Union Territories.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is chairing the meeting.

Telangana Governor and Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Admiral D K Joshi, Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and Basavaraj Bommai, Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy, Administrator of Lakshadweep Islands Praful Khoda Patel, Telangana Home Minister Mahmood Ali, Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal, Tamil Nadu Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments PK Sekarbabu, Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Inter-State Council Secretariat Secretary Anuradha Prasad, and other top officials are attending.

Implementation of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Mission, speedy investigation of cases of sexual offense/rape against women and children, strengthening of the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP), states’ support for effective implementation of NIKSHAY Poshan Yojana (NPY) under Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme is the Central subjects that are being discussed at the SZC.

Several inter-state issues between the southern states will also come up for discussion during the four-hour conference, being held after a three-year gap.