Security concerns raised at Western Zonal Council meet

The 22nd meeting of the Western Zonal Council consisting of the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat and Union Territories (UTs) of Daman & Diu and Dadar & Nagar Haveli was held in Mumbai on Friday under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

The meeting was attended by the chief ministers and ministers of the above states and administrators of UTs as well as senior officers of Central and State governments. Minister of State for Home Affairs, Hansraj Aheer, was also present in the meeting.

The council reviewed the progress of implementation of the recommendations made in the last meeting. Thereafter, the Council took up the issues which relate to coastal security, internal security, issuance of biometric identity cards to fishermen and issue of card readers, formulation of plans for countering terrorism, mord-ernisation of police force, etc. “One of the issues that concerned the Gujarat government was bringing back the fishermen who are in Pakistani jails. So the identity of 252 fishermen has been confirmed and the HM has agreed to take up the issue with the foreign minister,” said senior bureaucrat Naini Jayaseelan.

“The Chief Secretaries were asked to set up high resolution cameras on high rises along the coast to supplement the Coast Guards’ effort in patrolling,” she added.

Other important issues discussed were Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (Urban) Mission, surplus land for Central Government for ‘Housing for All: 2022’ and providing shelters to urban homeless.