Five Zonal Councils under the States Reorganization Act: the Union Home Minister is Chairman and Chief Ministers take the vice-chair by turn

Background

Five Zonal Councils were established in the year 1957 under Section 15-22 of the States Reorganization Act, 1956.
Union Home Minister is the Chairman of these five Zonal Councils.
The Chief Ministers of the States included in the respective Zonal Council and the Administrator or Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territories are its members.
Chief Ministers of the States included in a Zonal Council become its vice-chairman by turn.
Two more ministers from each state are nominated by the Governor as members of the council.
Each Zonal Council has also constituted a Standing Committee at the level of Chief Secretaries.
The Councils take up issues involving the Centre and the States and between one or more States in the region, including infrastructure, mining, environment and forests and food security parameters.
Meetings are organized by the Inter State Council Secretariat under the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Western Zonal Council comprises the states of Gujarat, Goa, Maharashtra and the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.