Leh: Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, R K Mathur has reached Jaipur to attend Northern Zonal Council meeting chaired by HM Amit Shah.
The meeting began at Rambagh Palace hotel here on Saturday amid tight security arrangements. “Internal security, road, transport, industries, water, power and other issues of common interests are to be discussed at the meeting, official sources said.
The council comprises Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, National Capital Territory of Delhi and Union Territory of Chandigarh.
Ladakh Lt Governor Radha Krishna Mathur, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Haryana’s Manohar Lal Khattar, Himachal Pradesh’s Jai Ram Thakur, Delhi Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, Punjab Governor and administrator of Chandigarh Banwarilal Purohit as well as senior officers from these states are present in the meeting.
The regional councils provide a forum for discussion in a structured manner on issues affecting one or more states or issues between the Centre and the states.
There are five zonal councils in the country which were set up in 1957 under Section 15-22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.
The Union home minister is the chairman of each of these five zonal councils and chief minister of the host state — chosen on a rotational basis every year — is the vice-chairman.
Shah arrived in Jaipur in a special aircraft from Delhi and went straight to the venue of the meeting.
BJP national general secretary and the party’s state in-charge Arun Singh, state president Satish Poonia, former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore, Jaipur MP Ramcharan Bohra and other leaders of the party received him at the airport.
After the zonal council meeting, Shah will visit the party’s state headquarters to meet the leaders. Rajasthan BJP chief Satish Poonia said Shah will visit the party office for a high tea and will also meet the leaders.
