Chennai, August 19, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will arrive in Chennai on Wednesday evening to chair the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting at Kovalam on Thursday, with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and his counterparts from other southern states and Puducherry scheduled to participate.
The meeting will be held at a hotel on East Coast Road in Kovalam, Chengalpattu district.
Shah is scheduled to depart New Delhi on a special aircraft at 4.50 p.m. and reach Chennai airport at 7.40 p.m. He will be received by senior government officials and BJP functionaries before travelling by road to Kovalam, where he will stay overnight.
Besides 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 are expected to attend.
Chief secretaries, home secretaries and other senior officials from the participating states and the Union Territory will also be present.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs convenes meetings of the Southern Zonal Council to strengthen interstate cooperation and address issues affecting the region. However, the council has not met since 2022, adding significance to Thursday’s deliberations.
The agenda is expected to cover interstate cooperation, economic development, industrial investment, infrastructure, water-sharing arrangements, education, healthcare, information technology and disaster management.
The meeting is also likely to discuss measures to prevent crime, strengthen coordination among law-enforcement agencies and address border-related issues.
The continuing differences between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the sharing of Cauvery river water are expected to be among the key issues. The meeting could provide the two states an opportunity to present their respective positions and explore mechanisms for improved coordination with the Centre’s involvement.
Officials are also expected to review the implementation of decisions taken at previous council meetings and identify matters requiring coordinated action by the Centre and state governments.
Security arrangements have been strengthened in Chennai ahead of Shah’s visit. Police personnel have been deployed at strategic locations along East Coast Road, while security has also been enhanced at the airport, along the Union Home Minister’s route and around the conference venue. Traffic arrangements are being closely monitored.
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