The meeting of the Eastern Regional Security Council, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has ended on Saturday at the State Secretariat Nabanna Auditorium in Kolkata. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that cooperate with BSF so that they can be more active. Along with this, many other issues have also been discussed. Along with West Bengal, the problems of other states have also been discussed. Significantly, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, Odisha ministers Pradeep Kumar Amet and Tushar Kanti Behera are attending the meeting. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla is also participating in the meeting.

According to sources, cow smuggling and BSF were discussed in the meeting. According to undisclosed sources, the water sharing of DVC, Mahananda and Mayurakshi is to be discussed in the meeting. Apart from this, about 40 issues including land acquisition, forest, mining are on the agenda for making freight corridor. Every year there is a dispute between West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand regarding DVC water. There is again a dispute between Odisha and Bihar regarding the Mahanadi water. During the meeting, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said that information should be given as to how much water will be released so that people are alert in advance.

The manner in which the right of the Gram Sabha has been abolished in the Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2022 in the use of forest land, due to which the rights of about 20 crore tribals and people living in forests for generations have grossly encroached. To protect their rights, it should be amended in line with the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Chief Minister Hemant Soren said these things. The Chief Minister was speaking at the meeting of the Eastern Zonal Council held in Kolkata. The Chief Minister said that the earlier provision of approval by the state government for the diversion of forest land up to five hectares should be restored.