The 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council was held on Monday at Surajkund, Faridabad under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister and Chairman,NZC, Sh. Amit Shah. Haryana Chief Minister and Vice-Chairman, NZC, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini, Punjab Chief Minister, Sh. Bhagwant Mann, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sh. Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Rajasthan Chief Minister Sh. Bhajan Lal Sharma, Lt. Governor, Delhi Sh. Vinai Kumar Saxena, Chief Minister, Smt. Rekha Gupta, Lt. Governor, Jammu & Kashmir Sh. Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Sh. Omar Abdullah, Lt. Governor, Ladakh Sh. Kavinder Gupta, Administrator, Chandigarh Sh. Gulab Chand Kataria, Haryana Revenue Minister Sh. Vipul Goel, Cooperation Minister Sh. Arvind Kumar Sharma, along with senior officers from the Member States and Union Territories attended the meeting.
Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini welcomed the Union Home Minister and the dignitaries by presenting shawls and mementos on their arrival. During the meeting, Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that sustained cooperation between states is extremely important for the progress of the nation. By pooling our resources, sharing knowledge, and adopting each other's best practices, we can turn the vision of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ into reality. Haryana has made several successful efforts in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve of Viksit Bharat @2047.
Punjab must remember the sacred traditions of the Gurus while addressing water disputes, CM
While discussing key agenda items, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that proper arrangements must be ensured for supplying each state its rightful share of water. Haryana has consistently been giving Delhi more water than its own share. However, due to the non-construction of the SYL canal, Haryana is not receiving its full share of water from Punjab. Once Haryana receives its rightful share of water through SYL, Rajasthan will also get its due share.
He said that Punjab is the land of the Gurus, the sacred soil where Guru Sevak Bhai Kanhaiya Ji served even enemy soldiers on the battlefield by giving them water. Through the Council, he urged Punjab to remember the great traditions of the Gurus while addressing the water dispute.
He added that water is a shared resource, and keeping it clean is the collective responsibility of all states. Recalling that rivers are revered as mothers in Indian culture, he specifically mentioned the Yamuna and assured that Haryana is making every effort to keep the Yamuna clean.
Affiliation of Haryana colleges with Panjab University, Chandigarh will benefit both students and the University
Referring to Panjab University, Chandigarh, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that the Haryana government wishes to contribute to the University. If some colleges of Haryana become affiliated with Panjab University, it will benefit both the University and the students of Haryana.
The Chief Minister said that ensuring the safety of children is everyone’s responsibility. With the implementation of the three new criminal laws in Haryana, cases under the POCSO Act are being disposed of more swiftly.
Haryana Government has ensured affordable healthcare access for every citizen
Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that to ensure affordable healthcare for every citizen, the state government strengthened Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana by integrating its own Chirayu Yojana with it. This is an example of accelerated development under the ‘double-engine’ government. He added that banking facilities are now available even in the smallest villages of Haryana.
Haryana Government fulfilled 47 sankalp in just one year
The Chief Minister said that out of the 217 sankalp made in the Sankalp Patra during the last Assembly election, the government has fulfilled 47 in the very first year. Citing one example, he said that on 25 September, the ‘DeenDayalLado Lakshmi’ App was launched on the 109th birth anniversary of Pandit DeenDayal Upadhyaya. On Haryana Day (1 November), the government transferred Rs. 2,100 each into the bank accounts of 5,22,162 eligible women beneficiaries under the DeenDayalLado Lakshmi Yojana. So far, 8.05 lakh applications have been received and the number will soon reach 15 lakh.
NZC meeting will become a model of ‘Ek Bharat- Shreshtha Bharat’
Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that Haryana has submitted detailed comments on each agenda item to the Council. He expressed hope that the deliberations of this meeting would promote cooperative federalism, help build consensus on inter-state and Centre-state issues, and make the Northern Zonal Council meeting an example of ‘Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat’.