PUNE: Union Minister Amit Shah expressed concern over malnutrition and stunting among children and adults at a meeting of the Western Zonal Council on Saturday. Emphasising the need to address these issues, he called for measures to improve education quality, enhance health outcomes, and tackle malnutrition in the western zone.Chairing the 27th meeting of the Western Zonal Council, attended by several dignitaries, including the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa, Shah stressed the evolving role of Zonal Councils from advisory bodies to platforms for sharing best practices and fostering inclusive development. He highlighted the Western region’s economic significance, contributing over 25% of India’s GDP and playing a key role in global trade.Shah, who is also the Union Minister for Cooperation, discussed the transformation of Zonal Councils under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, noting an increase in meetings and issue resolutions since 2014. He also highlighted the government’s progress in expanding financial access, setting new targets for banking facilities in rural areas. The Home Minister also expressed concern about pulse imports and encouraged promoting a government app to support fair pricing for farmers. He underscored the importance of strengthening cooperative societies and ensuring full implementation of constitutional rights. The meeting also addressed national issues, including fast-tracking rape cases, food security, and urban planning.He lauded the progress in expanding financial access, noting that the goal of establishing bank branches or postal banking facilities within five kilometers of every village has almost been accomplished.In the meeting, a new target was set to further reduce this distance to three kilometers.Shah acknowledged that the states in the western zone are among the most prosperous in the country, but flagged the prevalence of malnutrition and stunting among children and adult citizens in these states, the release said.The Union minister urged the chief ministers, ministers and chief secretaries of the western zone to prioritize eliminating malnutrition to improve overall health, and take all possible measures for tackling the issue.A total of 18 issues were discussed at the meeting, the release said.These included land transfer, mining, speedy investigation of rape cases, Fast Track Special Courts scheme for speedy disposal of rape and POCSO Act cases, Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112), bank branches/postal banking facility in every village, issues related to railway projects and food security norms.Six issues of national importance were also discussed, which included urban master plan and affordable housing, electricity operation/supply, eliminating malnutrition in children through Poshan Abhiyan, reducing drop-out rate of school children, participation of government hospitals in Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and strengthening Primary Agricultural Credit Societies.Best practices adopted by the states/UTs in the western region were also shared in the meeting, the release said.Among other things, Shah highlighted the importance of reducing school dropout rates and enhancing the quality of education.The Union Home Minister also expressed concern over the import of pulses, and emphasized the need to boost domestic production.While farmers earlier faced difficulties in getting fair prices for pulses, the government has developed a mobile app that enables direct purchase of 100 per cent of their produce at Minimum Support Price (MSP), he said.He urged the western states to actively promote this app.Talking about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sahakar se Samriddhi’, Shah said cooperation is the key to achieving 100 per cent employment.Primary Agricultural Credit Societies should be strengthened, making them multi-dimensional, he said, while urging the states to take all necessary steps to build a robust cooperative infrastructure.Referring to the implementation of the new criminal laws, the home minister said it was time to ensure that citizens benefit from all the constitutional rights granted to them.Issues related to digital infrastructure and cybercrime will also be brought under the purview of the Inter State Council, Shah said.While the role of zonal councils is advisory in nature, in recent years these meetings have evolved into a platform for sharing best practices adopted by various states, the minister said, adding that these discussions have fostered innovative solutions.Several significant and transformative decisions have been made, particularly in the meetings of the Eastern Zonal Council, he noted.The western region plays a critical role in the country’s economy, accounting for more than half of India’s trade with the world, and Northern and Central regions also rely on it as a conduit for global trade, Shah said.Shah concluded by praising Pune’s cultural significance and expressing gratitude to Maharashtra’s Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, for hosting the successful meeting.
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