Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah chaired the 27th meeting of the Western Zonal Council in Pune on Saturday, where he expressed concern over malnutrition and stunting among children and citizens in the member states. He urged officials to prioritise eliminating malnutrition to improve overall health.
The meeting, held at the Westin Hotel in Pune, was attended by the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa, the Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, and the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Discussions covered various issues, including pulse imports and the need to increase domestic production.
A press statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) stated that while the western zone comprises some of the most prosperous states in the country, Shah highlighted concerns over the high prevalence of malnutrition and stunting.
He called on the Chief Ministers, Ministers, and Chief Secretaries to prioritise addressing these issues and emphasised that good health should not rely solely on medicines and hospitals but on proactive measures to prevent illnesses.
Shah underscored the need to address stunting in children and urged authorities to take all possible measures to tackle the problem. He also stressed the importance of reducing school dropout rates and improving the quality of education to ensure better health and development outcomes.
He noted significant progress in financial accessibility, stating that the target of establishing bank branches or postal banking facilities within five kilometres of every village had been nearly achieved. A new goal was set to reduce this distance to three kilometres, ensuring greater accessibility for rural populations.
On the issue of pulse imports, Shah emphasised the importance of increasing domestic production. He noted that farmers previously struggled to secure fair prices for their produce but stated that the government has developed a mobile app to facilitate direct purchases at the minimum support price.
He urged western states to promote the app and encourage farmer registrations to ensure fair pricing and enhance self-sufficiency in pulse production.
Shah also addressed the implementation of three new criminal laws, stressing the need to ensure all citizens receive their full constitutional rights. He stated that digital infrastructure and cybercrime issues would soon be included under the purview of the Inter State Council (ISC) and urged states to prepare for these developments.
The ISC, established under Article 263 of the Constitution, investigates and discusses subjects of common interest to states and union territories.
The MHA reported that 18 issues were discussed at the meeting, including land transfer, mining, the speedy investigation of rape cases against women and children, the implementation of fast-track special courts for the swift disposal of rape and POCSO Act cases, the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112), bank branches and postal banking facilities in every village, railway projects, and food security norms.
Also Read: Congress to Hold AICC Session in Ahmedabad on April 8-9 to Discuss BJP Policies, Future Strategy
