Chennai: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will arrive in Chennai on Wednesday evening to preside over the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting, scheduled for Thursday in Kovalam.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, along with the Chief Ministers of other southern states and the Union Territory of Puducherry, will participate in this high-level conference.
The meeting will be held at a luxury hotel located on the East Coast Road in Kovalam, Chengalpattu district.
Home Minister Shah is scheduled to depart from New Delhi on a special flight at 4:50 PM and arrive at Chennai Airport at 7:40 PM. Senior government officials and BJP functionaries will welcome him at the airport. He will then travel by road to Kovalam, where he will stay overnight before presiding over the conference.
In addition to CM Vijay, Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Kerala CM V.D. Satheesan, Telangana CM A. Revanth Reddy, Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu, and Puducherry CM N. Rangasamy will also participate in the discussions.
Chief Secretaries, Home Secretaries, and other senior officials from the participating states and the Union Territory will also attend the meeting.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs typically convenes the Southern Zonal Council meeting annually to foster inter-state cooperation and resolve issues affecting the region. However, the conference has not taken place since 2022, making Thursday’s discussion particularly significant.
The meeting is expected to cover topics such as inter-state cooperation, economic development, industrial investment, infrastructure expansion, water-sharing arrangements, education, healthcare, information technology, and disaster management.
Measures to curb crime, improve coordination among law enforcement agencies, and resolve border disputes are also likely to feature prominently on the agenda.
The conference holds special significance amidst the ongoing differences between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka regarding the sharing of Cauvery River water. It is expected that this will provide both states with an opportunity to present their respective positions and deliberate on measures to improve coordination under the Centre’s supervision.
Officials are also likely to review the implementation of decisions taken during previous council meetings and identify issues requiring joint action by the central and state governments.
Security has been tightened at Chennai Airport, along the route of Home Minister Shah’s convoy, and in the vicinity of the conference venue. Ahead of the Union Home Minister’s visit, police forces have been deployed at key locations along the East Coast Road, and traffic arrangements are being closely monitored.