Politics · India Bureau
Tamil Nadu CM Vijay demands equitable treatment for southern states
At the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting in Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin pressed the Centre to ensure fair allocation of resources to southern states, highlighting their critical role in driving national economic growth.
LSN India ·
The 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council, convened in the coastal town of Mamallapuram and chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, witnessed a forceful appeal from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for greater equity in Centre-state relations.
Stressing the economic significance of southern India, Stalin underscored that the region's five states have consistently emerged as principal engines of the nation's GDP growth and development. He called for a reassessment of resource allocation mechanisms to reflect the southern states' substantial contributions to India's economic performance.
The Southern Zonal Council, an institutional forum for coordinating governance and policy matters among southern states, comprises representatives from Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala. The council meeting provided a platform for regional leaders to raise concerns regarding centre-state financial arrangements and administrative autonomy.
Staling's intervention at the high-level meeting signals renewed pressure from southern leadership on federal resource distribution frameworks. The appeal comes amid ongoing discussions within federal structures regarding equitable development funding and regional economic priorities.
The council meeting also addressed various inter-state issues and coordinated responses to matters of mutual concern, as part of its mandate to facilitate cooperative federalism across the southern region.