THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Union Minister Amit Shah has said the ministry of home affairs is taking measures to crack down on narcotics with utmost strictness. He stressed on holding regular meetings of the Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD) in all states and taking the steps to the district level. The minister was delivering the opening address at the 30th meeting of the Southern Zonal Council here on Saturday.
The Union minister and senior BJP leader said the 30th zonal council meeting discussed 26 issues of which nine were resolved. At the same time, 17 issues were reserved for further consideration, of which nine were related to the reorganisation of Andhra Pradesh. He called upon all member states of the council to find a joint resolution of the issues related to sharing of water.
Shah said QR-enabled PVC Aadhaar cards have been given to more than 12 lakh fishermen. “This will not only give recognition to the fishermen of the coastal states but also strengthen coastal security,” he said.
The meeting was attended by the chief ministers of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, lieutenant-governors of Puducherry, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the administrator of Lakshadweep. ; chief secretaries of Southern Zonal Council states, and Union home secretary.
In his address, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi called for broader consultations on new laws on subjects in the concurrent list of the Constitution before they are presented in parliament. “There can be contestations, but through discussions and debates, consensus can emerge narrowing down the areas of difference. This is the essence of a healthy federal democracy,” he said.