Amit Shah chairs 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting in Kovalam

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday chaired the 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council at the Taj Fisherman’s Cove hotel in Kovalam, Chengalpattu district, bringing together the leadership of southern states and Union Territories to discuss issues of regional and national importance.The Southern Zonal Council comprises Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, along with the Union Territories of Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. Chief Ministers and senior representatives from the member states attended the meeting.

#WATCH | Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu | Union Home Minister Amit Shah chairs the 31st Meeting of the Southern Zonal Council, which comprises the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Keralam, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, and the Union Territories of Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar… pic.twitter.com/mdNpFWrLmv

— ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2026

The council was constituted under Sections 15 to 22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. Shah is the Chairman of the Southern Zonal Council, while the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu serves as Vice-Chairman, with the position rotating among the chief ministers of member states.The meeting is being organised by the Inter-State Council Secretariat under the Ministry of Home Affairs, with the Tamil Nadu government hosting the event. Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors and Administrators of the member states and Union Territories, along with senior ministers and officials from the states and Centre, are participating.The Zonal Council has a Standing Committee comprising Chief Secretaries. Issues raised by states are first considered by the committee, with matters requiring further deliberation subsequently placed before the full council.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the councils are an important mechanism for promoting cooperative federalism and providing a structured platform for dialogue on issues involving two or more states, or the Centre and states.The councils are advisory in nature but have emerged as a forum for resolving inter-state issues and strengthening cooperation among states and Union Territories.Since June 2014, around 69 meetings of various Zonal Councils and their Standing Committees have been held, with the cooperation of state governments, Central ministries and departments.
According to agency reports,issues discussed through the councils include the implementation of Fast Track Special Courts for speedy disposal of rape cases involving women and children, education, water sharing, civil aviation, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin), and matters related to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act and other regional infrastructure projects.