Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair the 26th meeting of the Eastern Zonal Council in Patna on Sunday, where a discussion is likely to be held on a host of issues of national importance.

Eastern Zonal Council comprises the states of Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand.

The meeting is being organized by the inter-state council secretariat under the MHA in collaboration with the Bihar government.

This meeting will be attended by the chief ministers of the member states along with two senior ministers from each state, including chief secretaries and other senior government officials, an official statement said here on Saturday.

Discussions on several important decisions such as the minimum support price of Kodo, Kutki and other minor millet crops at par with Ragi and, the release of the National Framework for Sediment Management in 2022 among others are expected to be a part of the meeting.

Multiple issues are discussed by the zonal councils that include creation of infrastructure, land acquisition and land transfer, water sharing, implementation of Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme (DBT), and various other matters of common interest at the regional level.

Several national importance issues to be discussed in the meeting include, operationalization of Fast Track Special Courts (FSTC) for speedy investigation and speedy disposal of rape cases against women and children, facility of banks, India Post Payment Bank branches within 5 km of every village, formation of two lakh new Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACSs) in the country, eliminating malnutrition among children through nutrition campaign, reducing the drop-out rate of school children, participation of government hospitals in Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojanaand other issues of common interest at the national level, an official statement said.

The five zonal councils were established in the year 1957 under Section 15-22 of the States Reorganization Act, 1956.

Home Minister is the chairman of these five zonal councils, while the CMs of the states and the Administrator, Lieutenant Governor of the UTs from the respective Zonal Council are its members, one of whom is the Vice-Chairman by rotation every year.

Two more ministers from each State are nominated by the Governor as members of the council. Each Zonal Council has also constituted a Standing Committee at the level of Chief Secretaries. Chief Minister of Bihar is the Vice Chairman of the 26th meeting of the Eastern Zonal Council, the statement read further.

The issues proposed by the states are first presented for discussion before the Standing Committee of the concerned Zonal Council.

Further, the issues which cannot be resolved by mutual consent are presented for discussion in the Zonal Council meeting.