Southern States Chief Ministers to Meet in Chennai, Amit Shah to Chair the Conference

Chennai, August 19: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will arrive in Chennai on Wednesday evening and will chair the 31st Southern Regional Council meeting in Kovalam on Thursday.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay will participate in this high-level conference, along with other Chief Ministers from southern states and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

The meeting will take place at a luxury hotel located on the East Coast Road in Chengalpattu district.

Minister Shah is scheduled to depart from New Delhi at 4:50 PM on a special flight, arriving at Chennai Airport at 7:40 PM. Senior government officials and BJP leaders will welcome him at the airport. He will then travel by road to Kovalam, where he will stay overnight before presiding over the conference.

In addition to Chief Minister Vijay, 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 will also participate in the discussions.

The meeting will include Chief Secretaries, Home Secretaries, and other senior officials from the participating states and Union Territory.

The Union Home Ministry typically convenes the Southern Regional Council meeting annually to promote cooperation among states and address regional issues. However, this conference has not taken place since 2022, making Thursday’s discussions particularly significant.

Topics expected to be covered include inter-state cooperation, economic development, industrial investment, infrastructure expansion, water-sharing arrangements, education, healthcare, information technology, and disaster management.

Measures to prevent crime, improve coordination among law enforcement agencies, and resolve border disputes may also be prominently featured on the agenda.

Given the ongoing disputes over the sharing of Cauvery River water between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, this conference holds special importance. It is anticipated to provide both states an opportunity to present their positions and seek ways to enhance coordination under central oversight.

There will also likely be a review of the implementation of decisions made in previous council meetings, as well as the identification of issues requiring collaboration between central and state governments. Security has been heightened around Chennai Airport, along the route of Minister Amit Shah’s convoy, and at the conference venue. Police forces have been deployed at key locations along the East Coast Road, and traffic arrangements are being closely monitored ahead of the minister’s visit.