NEW DELHI, July 7:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet chief ministers on July 16 to discuss a host of issues, including inter-state relations, internal security and atrocities on SC and STs.
Convened after a gap of 10 years, the 11th meeting of the Inter-State Council here will also discuss issues concerning school education, direct benefit scheme, Aadhaar card, good governance and economic and social planning, according to an official.
The Prime Minister is the Chairman of the Council while six of his senior Cabinet Ministers — Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, M Venkaiah Naidu, Nitin Gadkari, Manohar Parrikar — were nominated by him as members.
Eleven other ministers are permanent invitees to the Council. They all 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 get an opportunity to raise issues in this platform in 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 has revived the Inter-State Council structure after coming the 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 the subjects of common interest between the Union and state(s) or among the 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 chairman.
The Council also deliberates upon such other matters of general interest to the states as may be referred by the chairman 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 of Union Home Minister as the Chairman and five Union ministers of Cabinet rank and nine chief ministers as members nominated by the Chairman of the Inter-State Council. (PTI)
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