PANAJI
Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant extended a warm welcome to Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on his arrival in Goa.
CM said that the government was looking forward to his guidance and valuable deliberations during the inauguration of the new BJP Goa Headquarters, the 28th Western Zonal Council Meeting, and the presentation of the President’s Colours to Goa Police.
Shah begins a visit to Goa with a packed schedule that includes a meeting on Goa-specific issues, a press conference on narcotics, the inauguration of the BJP’s new headquarters, the 28th meeting of the Western Zonal Council and the Goa Police’s President’s Colours ceremony.
Official information shared with the media reveals that Shah will chair a meeting on Goa-related matters with various divisions of the Ministry of Home Affairs at 11 am on Sunday at a five-star resort. He will subsequently address a press conference on narcotics at the same venue at 2 pm. At 4 pm, Shah will inaugurate the BJP’s new headquarters in Goa.
Sources said that Shah’s visit is also crucial as the upcoming assembly election strategy would be deliberated upon with the party’s core committee, ministers and MLAs. “The focus is likely to be on assessing the government’s performance, improving coordination within the organisation and firming up the campaign strategy ahead,” the source said.
On Monday, Shah will chair the Western Zonal Council meeting near Panaji. The council comprises Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra, along with the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. Chief ministers and two senior ministers from each member state, besides senior officials from the Centre, the states and the UT, will attend the meeting.
Officials said that the meeting is being organised by the Inter-State Council Secretariat of the Home Ministry and hosted by the Goa government.
“Shah is chairman of the council, while the Goa CM is its vice-chairman, a position that rotates annually among the member-state CMs. A Standing Committee of chief secretaries first examines issues raised by states before unresolved matters go to the council,” officials said.
The advisory body deals with Centre-state and inter-state issues, including cybercrime, digital infrastructure, rape investigations and Fast Track Special Courts, ERSS-112, food safety, banking access, nutrition, education, health, power reforms, urban planning and cooperatives.
The government said the councils advance Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “TEAM BHARAT” and cooperative and competitive federalism. On Monday afternoon, Shah will attend the Goa Police’s President’s Colours Award ceremony at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Taleigao, before returning to Delhi.
