In a powerful display of regional unity, senior officials from Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal came together today for the 15th meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eastern Zonal Council at the State Convention Centre, Lok Seva Bhawan.
The high-level gathering, organised by the Inter-State Council Secretariat (Ministry of Home Affairs) in association with the Odisha government, focused on resolving long-pending issues and accelerating coordinated development across the eastern region.
Chaired by Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg, the meeting brought together Bihar Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit, Jharkhand Development Commissioner Shri Ajay Kumar Singh, West Bengal Additional Chief Secretary Binod Kumar, and Inter-State Council Secretariat Secretary Ashish Srivastava, along with senior officers from all participating states.
A total of 74 agenda items were discussed in detail — 12 carried forward from the previous meeting, 61 new items and one dedicated to best practices. Key discussions revolved around inter-state water issues, flood management (with special focus on the Subarnarekha Multipurpose Project), infrastructure and railway projects, rehabilitation & compensation, mining in ecologically sensitive areas, human-elephant conflict, cyber security, telecom connectivity, banking services in unbanked rural villages and effective implementation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
The Subarnarekha project and recurring floods affecting Odisha and Jharkhand received particular attention. Water Resources Secretaries of both states were directed to hold joint discussions and present an optimal solution before the next Zonal Council meeting. Other matters related to dams in Jharkhand, National Highways projects, digital infrastructure and cyber crime investigation were also reviewed.
The afternoon session turned into a vibrant platform for sharing innovative best practices. Odisha presented its citizen-centric Ama Sathi WhatsApp chatbot, the empowering Subhadra Scheme for women (including post-evaluation findings and the Subhadra-to-Mudra entrepreneurship pathway) and its tourism land bank initiative. Bihar showcased the BHAVYA health application aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery. Jharkhand highlighted cage culture fisheries in abandoned coal and stone pits and the successful joint household visits by Sevikas and Sahiyas. West Bengal shared innovations under PM e-VIDYA for classroom creativity, advanced dredging methods for flood management, revenue generation and e-auction models.
Concluding the meeting, Ashish Srivastava described it as highly successful, noting that several inter-state and central issues had been resolved, with remaining matters to be placed before the next Eastern Zonal Council meeting chaired by the Union Home Minister.
Odisha CS Garg urged all departments and states to ensure timely action and visible progress on every agenda item.
The meeting reinforced the collective resolve of eastern states to work in close coordination for faster development and better governance.
