FARIDABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday vowed to track down those responsible for the Delhi blast and asserted that the culprits would be found even from the depths of ‘Patal’ (netherworld) and face the strictest possible punishment.
Addressing the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council (NZC) here, Shah said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, eliminating terrorism from its roots is the collective commitment of the government.
He said in line with the track record of the Modi government so far, the culprits of the Delhi bomb blast will be traced even from ‘Patal’, brought before the country’s judicial system, and given the strictest possible punishment.
At the start of the meeting, tributes were paid and a two-minute silence was observed in memory of those killed in the car bomb blast near Red Fort and the explosion at Nowgam Police Station in Jammu and Kashmir.
The home minister, according to Modi’s vision, strong states create a strong nation, and zonal councils play a very important role in translating this into reality on the ground.
“Zonal Councils are extremely important for dialogue, cooperation, coordination, and ‘policy synergy’. Many types of problems have been resolved through these councils,” he said.
Shah said even now there are several issues, such as delays in ensuring speedy justice in crimes against women and children, malnutrition, and stunting, that the country needs to be freed from.
Stressing the need for speedy investigation in cases of sexual offences and rape under the POCSO Act, the home minister said that no civilised society can tolerate heinous crimes against women and children.
He said the safety of women and children is the government’s top priority, and for this, the number of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) should be increased.
Underscoring a development model rooted in synergy between states and the Centre, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the Modi government’s vision is firmly centred on regional strength along with national progress, with India aiming for global leadership across sectors.
Addressing the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council here, Shah also said that all states should work in mutual coordination to resolve water resource management and water-related problems.
“Our goal is clear – regional strength along with national progress and India’s global leadership in every field, which will lead us towards the creation of a great India,” he said.
Chief Ministers Nayab Singh Saini (Haryana), Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (Himachal Pradesh), Bhagwant Mann (Punjab), Bhajan Lal Sharma (Rajasthan), Rekha Gupta (Delhi), Omar Abdullah (J&K), Punjab Governor and Administrator of Chandigarh Gulab Chand Kataria, Lieutenant Governors Manoj Sinha (J&K), V K Saxena (Delhi) and Kavinder Gupta (Ladakh) attended the meeting, officials said.
The home minister said poverty is being eradicated and employment is increasing through cooperation, agriculture, and fisheries.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mantra of ‘Sahkar Se Samriddhi’ (Prosperity through Cooperation), he said the cooperative sector holds immense potential for employment.
He said that only through growth in employment — especially self-employment — along with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) can the country realise the dream of a developed India.
Shah said the GDP alone is not an indicator of a country’s prosperity; true prosperity is achieved only when every individual rises above the poverty line.
He said the Ministry of Cooperation has initiated 57 measures across the country to strengthen the sector. These include computerisation of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), establishment of three new national-level cooperative societies, and the setting up of Tribhuvan Sahkari University, he said.
The home minister said the original spirit and the role of zonal councils is advisory, but in the last decade, they have been accepted as action-oriented platforms and have delivered results.
“With follow-up, we have not only accepted issues between states, between regions and states, and between the Centre and state governments, but also created concrete pathways for their resolution,” he said.
Shah said compared to 2004–2014, the number of zonal council meetings from 2014 to 2025 has increased by about two-and-a-half times, and the government has made these meetings meaningful.
He said between 2004 and 2014, there were a total of 25 meetings of zonal councils and standing committees, whereas from 2014 to 2025 till now, 64 meetings have been held.
He said more than doubling the number of meetings reflects PM Modi’s concept of TEAM Bharat. In these meetings, 1600 issues were discussed and 1303 issues (81.43 per cent) were resolved.
This has been possible due to the cooperation of all state governments, Union territories, and central ministries and departments, with the Inter-State Council Secretariat playing an active role, he said.
The home minister said this year marks the 150th anniversary of ‘Vande Mataram’. At one time, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s great composition ‘Vande Mataram’ became the clarion call for our country’s freedom, he said, adding now the Government of India and all states are working together to once again make it the clarion call for building a ‘great India’.
Referring to the implementation of the three new criminal laws, Shah said their enforcement has yielded very positive results. Under the new laws, the conviction rate has increased by approximately 25 to 40 per cent and culprits are receiving timely punishment, he said.
