The capital of Jharkhand, Ranchi, is set to host the 27th Eastern Zonal Council meeting on July 9 and 10. This significant meeting will be chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah himself. He will be on a two-day visit to Ranchi. Over 68 representatives from the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha are confirmed to attend. High-level officials such as Chief Ministers, Home Secretaries, Chief Secretaries, DGPs, and Finance Ministers will be participating.
This meeting will address pressing issues such as Naxalism, inter-state cooperation, the security of border areas, and development. Discussions might also include the allocation of pending assets between Bihar and Jharkhand, as well as the financial shares the states receive from the center.
Jharkhand is expected to strongly raise issues regarding the Rs 1.36 lakh crore owed by the center, its share in GST, and the timely payment of center-sponsored schemes.
In the absence of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Jharkhand's interests will be represented by Finance Minister Radhakrishna Kishore, the Chief Secretary, and the DGP. Odisha's Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi will participate in the meeting, alongside Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and Minister Vijay Choudhary. There's no confirmation yet on the attendance of West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The Joint Secretary from the Home Department of the central government has already visited Ranchi to review the preparations for the meeting. The Eastern Zonal Council meeting is a crucial platform where complex issues related to inter-state and center-state relations are resolved. This meeting in Ranchi is considered to be highly significant and is expected to result in major decisions and dialogues.
