Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah will chair the 28th meeting of the Western Zonal Council in Panaji, Goa on Monday, September 7, 2026. The Western Zonal Council comprises the States of Goa, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, established under Sections 15 to 22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.
Shri Amit Shah serves as Chairman of the Western Zonal Council, while the Chief Minister of Goa is its Vice-Chairman, with the Vice-Chairmanship rotating annually among member States. The meeting is organized by the Inter-State Council Secretariat, Ministry of Home Affairs, and hosted by the Government of Goa. The Council includes Chief Ministers of each Western region State and two senior Ministers from each State as members, with participation from senior officers from both Central and State Governments/Union Territory administrations.
The Zonal Council operates through a Standing Committee at the Chief Secretaries level, where State-proposed issues are first discussed before unresolved matters are elevated to the full Zonal Council meeting. The Councils function under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of TEAM BHARAT based on cooperative federalism, providing a structured mechanism for dialogue on issues affecting multiple States or Centre-State relations.
Since June 2014, 70 meetings of various Zonal Councils and their Standing Committees have been held with cooperation from all State Governments and Central Ministries. While the role of Zonal Councils is advisory, they have emerged as important platforms for resolving disputes between Centre and member States/UTs, among member States/UTs themselves, and for progressing regional matters.
The Councils also discuss broad national issues including expedited investigation of rape cases against women and children, implementation of Fast Track Special Courts for speedy disposal, Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112) implementation, food safety standards, provision of brick-and-mortar banking facilities within designated village radii, and matters relating to nutrition, education, health, power sector reforms, urban planning, cooperative system strengthening, cybercrime, and digital infrastructure.