Brainstorming Session at the Central Zonal Council Meeting Among Senior Officials from Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and the Central Government

In Short

Detailed discussions held on 50 points for socio-economic development, effective implementation of schemes, and better coordination

17th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Central Zonal Council held in Nava Raipur

Raipur: In the 17th meeting of the Standing Committee of the Central Zonal Council held today in Nava Raipur, senior officials from the member states of the council – Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and the Central Government – ​​held detailed discussions on 50 points related to socio-economic development, effective implementation of schemes, resolution of pending issues, and better coordination in the four states.

During the meeting, emphasis was placed on finding solutions to administrative, economic, and social issues related to these four states of the central region and on improving coordination among the states. The officials present at the meeting were also apprised of the innovations and best practices of the four states.

This meeting of the Standing Committee of the Central Zonal Council is of special importance because the agenda is finalised before the main meeting of the Central Zonal Council. The decisions and recommendations made in this meeting are presented in the upcoming meeting of the council. The meeting addresses the resolution of pending inter-state issues of the member states of the council, strengthens policy coordination, and resolves practical difficulties encountered in development projects.

The meeting was attended by the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Central Zonal Council and Chief Secretary of Chhattisgarh, Vikas Sheel, Secretary of the Inter-State Council Secretariat of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Ashish Srivastava, Additional Secretary Shubha Thakur, Additional Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh Rashmi Arun Shami, Additional Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh Parthasarathi Sen Sharma, and Principal Secretary of Uttarakhand Ramesh Kumar Sudhanshu, along with senior officials from various ministries of the Central Government and officials from the concerned departments of the four states.

Chief Secretary Vikas Sheel said in the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Central Zonal Council that a constructive and useful discussion was held today among the officials of the four states and the Central Government on various points related to the state governments and the Government of India.

Through continuous dialogue and inter-state cooperation, the common interests of the states of the central region will be effectively ensured. Ashish Srivastava, Secretary of the Inter-State Council Secretariat of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, stated that the four states should immediately initiate action in accordance with the conclusions of today’s discussions.

He said that deliberations between the four states and the central government would improve mutual communication. This will help in taking concrete and practical decisions to resolve the common problems of the central region states and the central government.

Topics Discussed Related to These Ministries and Departments

At the Standing Committee meeting of the Central Zonal Council, detailed discussions were held on various issues related to Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, as well as topics related to the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Law and Justice, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Mines, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Ministry of Coal, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Jal Jeevan Mission, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Department of School Education and Literacy, Department of Food and Public Distribution, Department of Financial Services, Department of Posts, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Department of Commerce, and Department of Fisheries.

Officials Introduced to Best Practices of the Four States

At the Standing Committee meeting of the Central Zonal Council, presentations were given on inter-state coordination, development, and good governance, as well as the best practices adopted by the four states. During this time, officials from Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh shared information about the innovations and effective schemes of their respective states.

Chhattisgarh presented its One Click Single Window System 2.0, which was launched by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai in July 2025. This advanced digital platform integrates more than 136 services from 16 departments, significantly accelerating industrial investment, land management, environmental clearances, and subsidy processes.

Along with this, the blockchain-based secure land records system under the Dantewada model and the AI-based Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK) were presented as national-level innovative initiatives in the field of education.

Madhya Pradesh presented rural tourism development as its key best practice. Under this initiative, homestays and local culture-based tourism are being promoted in 125 villages. Information was also provided on the goal of obtaining 50 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030 through the Energy Saving and Renewable Energy Policy-2025, and on initiatives to strengthen tourism and regional connectivity through the PM Shri Tourism Heli Service.

Uttarakhand presented initiatives aimed at increasing the income of border farmers through a farmer-to-ITBP supply chain scheme, managing plastic waste through a digital deposit refund system, and rejuvenating water sources through the Spring and River Rejuvenation Authority (SARA). Officials from Uttar Pradesh presented new initiatives for residential improvements in urban areas, along with innovations such as the Shram Nyay Setu portal and Seva Mitra.