Chennai, August 19
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will arrive in Chennai on Wednesday evening to chair the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting at Kovalam in Chengalpattu district on Thursday.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay will attend the conference alongside the Chief Ministers of Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry.
Shah is scheduled to leave New Delhi by a special aircraft at 4.50 p.m. and reach Chennai airport at 7.40 p.m. Senior government officials and BJP leaders will receive him at the airport. He will later travel by road to Kovalam and stay overnight near the conference venue.
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangasamy are scheduled to participate.
Chief secretaries, home secretaries and other senior officials from the participating States and the Union Territory will also be present.
The Union Home Ministry convenes zonal council meetings to strengthen interstate cooperation and address issues requiring coordination between the Centre and State governments. The Southern Zonal Council meeting has not been held since 2022, adding significance to Thursday’s deliberations.
The agenda is expected to cover economic development, industrial investment, infrastructure, education, healthcare, information technology and disaster management. Crime prevention, coordination among law-enforcement agencies and interstate border issues are also likely to be discussed.
The continuing dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the sharing of Cauvery water may figure prominently at the meeting. The conference could offer both States an opportunity to present their positions and explore ways to improve coordination under the Centre’s supervision.
Security has been strengthened at Chennai airport, along Shah’s convoy route and around the Kovalam venue. Police personnel have been deployed at key points along East Coast Road, and special traffic arrangements are being put in place.
