Panaji, Sep 7 (KNS): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the western region is extremely important for the country's economy, describing it as India's largest economic, industrial and financial centre.

Shah made the remarks while chairing the 28th meeting of the Western Zonal Council in Panaji, which was attended by Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Praful K Patel, besides senior officials.

Shah said the Indian economy recorded a growth rate of 7.8 per cent in the first quarter of the financial year 2026-27 despite global economic turbulence, and credited the western region and its constituent states and Union Territories for making a significant contribution to the country's growth.

He described the western region as the "WEST Engine" of India's economic growth, with W standing for wealth and finance, E for exports and ports, S for start-ups and semiconductors, and T for tourism and the blue economy.

Shah said Goa receives more than one crore tourists annually, including around five lakh foreign visitors, with tourism contributing about 16 per cent to the state's GSDP.

He said Maharashtra has the highest number of start-ups in the country at 33,872, while Dholera in Gujarat has emerged as a semiconductor hub. He also highlighted the importance of Mundra and Deendayal ports and Mumbai's role as the country's financial capital and an emerging global capital hub.

The Home Minister said the Narendra Modi government has worked over the past 12 years to strengthen cooperative federalism and significantly increased the frequency of Zonal Council meetings.

He said only 25 meetings of the Zonal Councils and their Standing Committees were held between 2004 and 2014, while 71 such meetings have been held since 2014.

According to Shah, 1,893 issues have been discussed in these meetings, of which 1,445 have been resolved, reflecting the effectiveness of the mechanism.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

He said Zonal Councils have increasingly become instruments for monitoring the implementation of public welfare schemes rather than merely resolving disputes.

“There are no longer any disputes among the states of the Western Region. This is a major achievement,” Shah said.

He said the councils are also monitoring issues including child malnutrition, Aadhaar penetration and the implementation of Ayushman Bharat cards.

Shah called upon the western states to play a leading role in implementing the new criminal laws and strengthening the fight against drugs.

He also highlighted progress in the computerisation of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies, noting that Maharashtra has achieved 98 per cent coverage and Gujarat 92 per cent.

On cybercrime, Shah said Prime Minister Modi is monitoring the government's strategy through PRAGATI and stressed the need to connect urban cooperative banks with the Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (FCFRMS), MuleHunter AI and the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C).

He said the Ministry of Home Affairs would intensify efforts to strengthen coastal security over the next two years.

Shah also said all four members of the Western Zonal Council were leading the country in green energy and urged the states to take maximum advantage of the government's policy for data centres.

Several issues concerning the member states and the country were discussed at the meeting, including the implementation of Fast Track Special Courts, Emergency Response Support System-112, food safety standards, Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY, banking facilities in villages, railway development projects and environmental clearances.

Other issues discussed included urban master planning, electricity supply, strengthening of PACSs, eliminating child malnutrition under Poshan Abhiyaan, reducing school dropout rates, participation of public hospitals in Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY, cybercrime and digital infrastructure. (KNS)