Inter-State Council meet: PM Modi meets states CMs, asks them to work with unity

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday convened a meeting of the Inter-State Council, asking them to work in unity for a better future. Issues like internal security, economic and social planning, and inter-state relations were also discussed during the meet.

Convened after a gap of 10 years, the Inter-State Council meeting will see Modi, along with 17 Union ministers, for the first time interacting with all chief ministers on a single platform ever since he assumed the charge two years ago.

Issues that will figure in the conference include recommendations of the Punchhi Commission on Centre-State relations, use of Aadhaar as an identifier and use of Direct Benefit Transfer for providing subsidies, benefits and public services, improving quality of school education with focus on improving learning outcomes, incentivising better performance, and internal security.

The meeting comes amid the ongoing turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir, where at least 36 people have lost their lives following violent protests after Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter last week.

The last meeting of the Inter-State Council was held in 2006. The UPA government had convened just two meetings in its 10-year tenure.

The Modi government has revived the Inter-State Council structure after assuming office in May 2014. Home Minister Rajnath Singh had chaired meetings of all the five zonal councils over the last one year in various parts of the country in which chief ministers of states of the respective zones took part.