Shah expressed the need to reduce the import of pulses and boost domestic production
Union Home Minister Amit Shah voiced concern over malnutrition and stunting among children in the western zone states, despite their prosperity, and urged immediate action to address these health challenges. Speaking at the 27th meeting of the Western Zonal Council in Pune, Shah stressed the importance of eliminating malnutrition to improve overall health and called on state governments to prioritise the issue.
Shah highlighted that good health goes beyond reliance on medicines and hospitals, emphasising the need for preventive measures to ensure that children and citizens stay healthy. He also drew attention to the high school dropout rates and called for enhanced efforts to improve the region’s education quality.
The meeting was attended by the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa, along with the Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and senior officials from various state and union ministries.
Addressing agricultural concerns, Shah expressed the need to reduce the import of pulses and boost domestic production. He urged Western states to promote a government-developed mobile app that enables farmers to sell 100 per cent of their produce directly at the Minimum Support Price (MSP). This initiative aims to ensure fair pricing for farmers and contribute to the nation’s self-sufficiency in pulse production.
Amit Shah also underscored Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sahkar se Samriddhi” (Prosperity through Cooperation), advocating for the strengthening of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and making them multi-dimensional. He called for the effective implementation of over 56 initiatives designed to harness the full potential of cooperative development and urged Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa to build a robust cooperative infrastructure at the grassroots level.
The Western Zonal Council meeting concluded with a strong call for collaborative efforts to tackle malnutrition, enhance education, and strengthen agricultural and cooperative sectors in the western region.