PM Modi to convene inter-state panel meeting July 16

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a meeting of all chief ministers – being convened after a gap of 10 years – on July 16 under the aegis of the Inter-state Council, to discuss a host of issues including inter-state relations, internal security and atrocities on SC and STs.

The 11th meeting of the Inter-State Council, which was last held in 2006, will also take up issues concerning school education, direct benefit scheme, Aadhaar card, good governance and economic and social planning, official sources said.

The Prime Minister is the chairman of the Council while six of his senior Cabinet ministers – Mr Rajnath Singh, Ms Sushma Swaraj, Mr Arun Jaitley, Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu, Mr Nitin Gadkari, and Mr Manohar Parrikar – have been nominated by him as members. Eleven other ministers are permanent invitees to the Council, all of whom will attend the meet.

Chief Ministers of all states and Union Territories are members of the Council where they can express their views and raise grievances.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is often at loggerheads with the Central government, will also get an opportunity to raise issues on this platform in the presence of his counterparts from across the country.

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

The Modi government revived the Inter-State Council structure after coming to power 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 the respective zonal councils took part.

The Inter-State Council was established under Article 263 of the Constitution through a Presidential Order dated May 28, 1990. It is a recommendatory body with duties to investigate and discuss subjects of common interest between the Union and state(s) or among states, making recommendations particularly for better coordination of policy and action on these subjects and deliberating upon such other matters of general interest to the states, which may be referred to it by its chairperson.

The Council also deliberates upon such other matters of general interest to the states as may be referred by the chairperson to the Council.

A standing committee of the Inter-State Council has been constituted for continuous consultation and processing of matters for the consideration of the Council. The standing committee comprises the Union Home minister as the chairperson and five Union ministers of Cabinet rank and nine Chief Ministers as members nominated by the chairperson of the Inter-State Council.