Mumbai: Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday expressed concern over the prevalence of Malnutrition and Stunting among children and citizens in western zone states, which are among the most prosperous in the country. He urged the chief ministers, Ministers and chief secretaries of the western zone to prioritise eliminating malnutrition to improve overall health. Mr. Shah chaired the 27th meeting of the Western Zonal Council, which includes the states of Gujarat, Goa, and Maharashtra, and the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, in Pune. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel and Goa CM Pramod Sawant also attended the meeting. Emphasising that good health is not solely dependent on medicines and hospitals. Mr Shah said that the governments should rather make efforts to ensure that children and citizens do not require them in the first place.He stressed the need for serious attention to the problem of stunting in children and called for all possible measures to resolve it. Mr. Shah said that Zonal Councils have been established as a strategic decision-making platform, surpassing their traditional role as formal institutions. “Through this platform, several significant and transformative decisions have been made, particularly in the meetings of the Eastern Zonal Council,” he said.Further, the Union minister further said that the Western region’s role is critical in the country’s economy, noting that it accounts for more than half of India’s trade with the world. The Northern and Central regions also rely on the Western region for global trade.Key infrastructure, including ports and urban development facilities in the Western region, serves not only its states but also others like Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. The Western region contributes 25 per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is home to industries where 80 to 90 per cent of operations take place. Given its economic significance, the Western region is a benchmark for balanced and holistic development across the country, Mr. Shah said.Referring to the implementation of three new criminal laws, Mr. Shah emphasised that it is now time to ensure that citizens receive 100 per cent of the constitutional rights granted to them. He further stated that in the coming days, issues related to digital infrastructure and cybercrime will also be brought under the purview of the Inter State Council. He urged the states to proactively prepare for these developments.
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