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Union Home Minister Amit Shah will travel to Chennai on Wednesday evening to preside over the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting in Kovalam on Thursday.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay will join the conference alongside Chief Ministers representing other southern states and Puducherry.
Organisers will hold the high-level meeting at a luxury hotel located along East Coast Road in Kovalam, Chengalpattu district.
Shah will leave New Delhi on a special aircraft at 04:50 PM and is expected to land at Chennai airport at 07:40 PM.
Senior officials and BJP representatives will receive the Home Minister at the airport before he proceeds to Kovalam by road.
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy will also attend the deliberations.
Chief secretaries, home secretaries and other senior government officials from the participating administrations will take part in the discussions.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs convenes the Southern Zonal Council to encourage cooperation between states and tackle issues that require coordinated action.
The council has not held a meeting since 2022, giving the latest gathering additional significance.
The discussions are likely to cover economic growth, industrial investment, infrastructure, water sharing, education, healthcare, information technology and disaster management.
The continuing dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over Cauvery water allocation could feature prominently during the deliberations.
The meeting may allow both states to put forward their respective concerns while exploring ways to improve cooperation with the Centre’s involvement.
Officials will review the progress of decisions from previous council meetings and identify issues that require coordinated action.
Authorities have increased security arrangements at Chennai airport, along Shah’s proposed route and around the Kovalam venue.
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