14. [Definitions.]―Rep. by the Adaptation of Laws (No. 1) Order, 1956.
15. Establishment of Zonal Councils.―As from the appointed day, there shall be a Zonal Council
for each of the following five zones, namely:―
(a) the Northern Zone, comprising the States of 1
[Haryana],
2
[Punjab, Himachal Pradesh],
Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir* and the 3
[Union territories] of Delhi, 4
[and Chandigarh];
(b) the Central Zone, comprising the States of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh;
5
[(c) the Eastern Zone, comprising the States of Bihar, West Bengal 6
[Orissa and Sikkim];]
7
[(d) the Western Zone, comprising the States of Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra and the Union
territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu; and]
(e) the Southern Zone, comprising the States of Andhra Pradesh, 8
[ 9
[Tamil Nadu], 10[Karnataka]
and Kerala] 11[and the Union territory of Pondicherry].
16. Composition of the Councils.―(1) The Zonal Council for each zone shall consist of the
following members, namely:―
(a) a Union Minister to be nominated by the President;
(b) the Chief Minister of each of the States included in the zone and two other Ministers of each
such State to be nominated by the Sadar-i-Riyasat, in the case of Jammu and Kashmir*, and by the
Governor, in any other case, and if there is no Council of Ministers in any such State, three members
from that State to be nominated by the President;
(c) where any 3
[Union territory] is included in the zone, not more than two members from each
12[such territory] to be nominated by the President;
13* * * * *
(2) The Union Minister nominated under clause (a) of sub-section (1) to a Zonal Council shall be its
Chairman.
(3) The Chief Ministers of the States included in each zone shall act as Vice-Chairman of the Zonal
Council for that zone by rotation, each holding office for a period of one year at a time:
Provided that if during that period there is no Council of Ministers in the State concerned, such
member from that State as the President may nominate in this behalf shall act as Vice-Chairman of the
Zonal Council.
1. Subs. by Act 31 of 1966, s. 86, for “Punjab” (w.e.f. 1-11-1966).
2. Subs. by Act 53 of 1970, s. 47, for “Punjab” (w.e.f. 25-1-1971).
3. Subs. by the Adaptation of Laws (No. 1) Order, 1956, for “Part C States”.
4. Subs. by Act 53 of 1970, s. 47, for “Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh” (w.e.f. 25-1-1971).
5. Subs. by Act 81 of 1971, s. 74, for clause (c) (w.e.f. 21-1-1972).
6. Subs. by Notification No. S.O. 778(E), dated 8-12-1976, Gazette of India, Pt. II, Sec. 3(ii).
7. Subs. by Act 18 of 1987, s. 64, for clause (d) (w.e.f. 30-5-1987).
8. Subs. by Act 11 of 1960, s. 86, for “Madras and Kerala” (w.e.f. 1-5-1960).
9. Subs. by the Madras State (Alteration of Name) (Adaptation of Laws on Union Subjects) Order, 1970, for “Madras”
(w.e.f. 14-1-1969).
10. Subs. by the Mysore State (Alteration of Name) (Adaptation of Laws on Union Subjects) Order, 1974, for “Mysore”
(w.e.f. 1-11-1973).
11. Ins. by Act 20 of 1963, s. 57 and Second Schedule (w.e.f. 13-5-1963).
12. Subs. by the Adaptation of Laws (No. 1) Order, 1956, for “such State”.
13. Omitted by Act 81 of 1971, s. 74 (w.e.f. 21-1-1972).
*. Vide notification No. S.O. 3912(E), dated 30th October, 2019, this Act is made applicable to the Union territory of Jammu and
Kashmir and the Union territory of Ladakh.
13
(4) The Zonal Council for each zone shall have the following persons as Advisers to assist the
Council in the performance of its duties, namely:―
(a) one person nominated by the Planning Commission;
(b) the Chief Secretary to the Government of each of the States included in the Zone; and
(c) the Development Commissioner or any other officer nominated by the Government of each of
the States included in the Zone.
(5) Every Adviser to a Zonal Council shall have the right to take part in the discussions of the Council
or of any Committee thereof of which he may be named a member but shall not have a right to vote at a
meeting of the Council or of any such Committee.
17. Meetings of the Councils.―(1) Each Zonal Council shall meet at such time as the Chairman of
the Council may appoint in this behalf and shall, subject to the other provisions of this section, observe
such rules of procedure in regard to transaction of business at its meetings as it may, with the approval of
the Central Government, lay down from time to time.
(2) The Zonal Council for each zone shall, unless otherwise determined by it, meet in the States
included in that zone by rotation.
(3) The Chairman or in his absence the Vice-Chairman or in the absence of both the Chairman and
the Vice-Chairman, any other member chosen by the members present from amongst themselves shall
preside at a meeting of the Council.
(4) All questions at a meeting of a Zonal Council shall be decided by a majority of votes of the
members present and in the case of an equality of votes the Chairman or, in his absence any other person
presiding shall have a second or casting vote.
(5) The proceedings of every meeting of a Zonal Council shall be forwarded to the Central
Government and also to each State Government concerned.
18. Power to appoint Committees.―(1) A Zonal Council may from time to time by resolution
passed at a meeting appoint Committees of its members and Advisers for performing such functions as
may be specified in the resolution and may associate with any such Committee, such Ministers either for
the Union or for the States and such officers serving either in connection with the affairs of the Union or
of the States as may be nominated in that behalf by the Council.
(2) A person associated with a Committee of a Zonal Council under sub-section (1) shall have the
right to take part in the discussions of the Committee, but shall not have a right to vote at a meeting
thereof.
(3) A Committee appointed under sub-section (1) shall observe such rules of procedure in regard to
transaction of business at its meetings as the Zonal Council may, with the approval of the Central
Government, lay down from time to time.
19. Staff of the Council.―(1) Each Zonal Council shall have a secretarial staff consisting of a
Secretary, a Joint Secretary and such other officers as the Chairman may consider necessary to appoint.
(2) The Chief Secretaries of the States represented in such Council shall each be the Secretary of the
Council by rotation and hold office for a period of one year at a time.
(3) The Joint Secretary of the Council shall be chosen from amongst officers not in the service of any
of the States represented in the Council and shall be appointed by the Chairman.
20. Office of the Council.―(1) The office of the Zonal Council for each zone shall be located at such
place within the zone as may be determined by the Council.
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(2) The administrative expenses of the said office, including the salaries and allowances payable to or
in respect of members of the secretarial staff of the Council other than the Secretary, shall be borne by the
Central Government out of monies provided by Parliament for the purpose.
21. Functions of the Councils.―(1) Each Zonal Council shall be an advisory body and may discuss
any matter in which some or all of the States represented in that Council, or the Union and one or more of
the States represented in that Council, have a common interest and advise the Central Government and the
Government of each State concerned as to the action to be taken on any such matter.
(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the provisions of sub-section (1), a Zonal
Council may discuss, and make recommendations with regard to,―
(a) any matter of common interest in the field of economic and social planning;
(b) any matter concerning border disputes, linguistic minorities or inter-State transport; and
(c) any matter connected with, or arising out of, the reorganisation of the States under this Act.
22. Joint meetings of Zonal Councils.―(1) Where it is represented to the Zonal Council for any
zone that a matter in which a State included in that zone and one or more States included in any other
zone or zones have a common interest should be discussed at a joint meeting, it shall be lawful for the
Zonal Councils concerned—
(a) to meet at such time and place as the Chairman thereof may, in consultation with each other,
appoint in this behalf; and
(b) to discuss the said matter at such joint meeting and make recommendations to the
Governments concerned as to the action to be taken on that matter.
(2) The Central Government may make rules for regulating the procedure at joint meetings of the
Zonal Councils.