Pollution: Delhi urges Amit Shah's intervention

Union Home minister Amit Shah on Friday chaired the 29th Northern Zonal Council meeting in Chandigarh with Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar being the host serving as the vice-chairman.

For the first time, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh took part in the Northern Zonal Council meeting with other states being the Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, and New Delhi. The meeting of the northern zonal council was last held in Chandigarh on May 12, 2017.

As Delhi government's representative, cabinet minister (law, revenue, transport, IT and AR) Kailash Gahlot broached the subject of pollution in Delhi during winter months and requested Home Minister Amit Shah and chief ministers of Haryana and Punjab to take all possible steps to prevent stubble burning so that Delhi air quality does not deteriorate.

The Zonal Council discussed several issues pertaining to boundary disputes, security and infrastructure issues such as roads, transport, industries, water and power, forests and environment, housing, education, food security, tourism and transport.

"Chaired the Northern Zonal Council Meeting at Chandigarh. Had extensive discussions and many inter-state issues were amicably resolved," tweeted Amit Shah.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who attended the meeting, said the Council would discuss and deliberate on issues involving the Centre and the northern states.

India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 had set up the five Zonal Councils — Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western and Central — in 1957 to amicably resolve the inter-state and federal disputes.