27th meet of Western Zonal Council: Western region contributes 25% of nation's GDP, says Amit Shah

New Delhi: Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that the Western regions of Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat and Dadar and Nagar Haveli contribute 25% to the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is home to industries where 80%-90% of operations take place. Due to the presence of key infrastructure, including ports and urban development facilities in the Western region, it serves not only the states in its region but also places like Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, Shah noted.

Shah was speaking at the 27th meeting of the Western Zonal Council in Pune, Maharashtra attended by chief ministers of Maharashtra, Gujarat Goa and Dadar and Nagar Haveli. He said that the Western region plays a critical role in the country's economy, and accounts for more than half of India's trade with the world. He highlighted that the Northern and Central regions also rely on the Western region for global trade.

Shah noted that in the coming days issues related to digital infrastructure and cybercrime will also be brought under the purview of the Inter State Council and urged the states to proactively prepare for these developments.


A total of 18 issues were discussed which included issues related to the member states and the country. These included land transfer, mining, speedy investigation of rape cases, implementation of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) scheme for speedy disposal of rape and POCSO Act cases, implementation of Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112), bank branches/postal banking facility in every village, issues related to railway project and food security norms.

Shah expressed concern over the prevalence of malnutrition and stunting among children and citizens in these states. He urged the chief ministers, ministers, and chief secretaries of the western zone to prioritise eliminating malnutrition to improve overall health. He emphasised that good health is not solely dependent on medicines and hospitals; rather, efforts should be made to ensure that children and citizens do not require them in the first place. He highlighted the importance of reducing school dropout rates and enhancing the quality of education.