Special Correspondent
Pune: Amit Shah Urges Action on Malnutrition, Education, and Economic Development at Western Zonal Council Meeting
Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed concerns about malnutrition and stunted growth in both children and adults in India’s western region, calling on state governments to take corrective actions. His remarks came during the 27th Western Zonal Council meeting, attended by the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa, as well as the Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu and Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Ministers.
The meeting, which addressed 18 crucial issues, discussed topics such as land transfers, mining policies, speeding up investigations of rape cases, and the implementation of Fast Track Special Courts to handle rape and POCSO Act cases. Other points of discussion included the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112), the expansion of banking access in rural areas, progress on railway projects, and food security regulations.
In addition, six national priorities were reviewed, including urban planning, affordable housing, improvements in electricity supply, addressing child malnutrition through Poshan Abhiyan, reducing school dropout rates, enhancing participation of government hospitals in the Ayushman Bharat scheme, and reinforcing Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS).
Amit Shah also praised the progress in expanding financial inclusion, highlighting that the goal of ensuring every village has a bank branch or postal banking facility within five kilometers is nearly achieved. He announced a new target to reduce the distance to three kilometers for even better rural access to banking services.
Despite the western region’s development, Shah raised concerns about the widespread issue of malnutrition and stunted growth. He emphasized the need for state governments to prioritize this issue and implement comprehensive measures to combat it.
The Home Minister also stressed the importance of improving education quality and reducing school dropout rates in the region. He urged state governments to adopt effective strategies to retain students and improve academic standards.
On the topic of India’s reliance on imports of pulses, Shah called for increased domestic production. He highlighted a government initiative that enables farmers to sell 100% of their produce at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) via a mobile app, urging states to promote this to support farmers.
Speaking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sahakar se Samriddhi’ (Prosperity Through Cooperation), Shah underscored the role of cooperatives in achieving 100% employment. He encouraged states to strengthen Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) by making them multi-functional and improving their infrastructure to support economic growth.
Shah also emphasized the implementation of India’s new criminal laws and urged states to ensure that citizens fully benefit from the constitutional rights available to them.
The meeting also served as a platform to share best practices from various states and Union Territories in the western region. Shah emphasized the need for collaborative efforts between the central and state governments to drive holistic development in sectors like public health, education, agriculture, and law enforcement, aiming for sustainable progress across the western states of India.
