Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday chaired the 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council, bringing together representatives of five states and three Union Territories to discuss issues concerning the Centre and the southern region.The participating Chief Ministers called for greater cooperation among the southern states on shared challenges, including interstate water disputes, drug abuse, NEET, delimitation and economic development.Addressing the meeting, Shah said the Modi government had worked to make the zonal councils a meaningful platform for cooperative federalism. He said of the 70 meetings held since 2014, around 80 per cent of the issues raised had been resolved.“South India has played a major role in the country’s IT, automobile, pharmaceutical and infrastructure development sectors, and that is why a large amount of foreign direct investment has also come to the region,” he said.“If great rivers of India, from the Brahmaputra to the Cauvery and the Godavari, are interconnected, India may not face any water shortage for the next 100 years,” he added.Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay urged the Centre to provide a clear legislative assurance that no southern state would suffer a reduction in its share of parliamentary representation because of its success in population stabilisation.In a departure from his earlier position, he did not insist on freezing the number of Lok Sabha seats at the current strength of 543. He had recently written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a guarantee that the strength of the Lok Sabha would remain fixed at 543.Vijay warned that any population-based redistribution of Lok Sabha seats could diminish the collective voice of the southern states, which have successfully stabilised population growth.Making a strong pitch for greater regional cooperation, he said the southern states, which together contribute more than 30 per cent of India’s GDP, could achieve faster growth by functioning as a more integrated economic region.Referring to Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu reservoir project across the Cauvery, he said upstream interventions that could affect another state’s rightful share of water should proceed only within the established legal and institutional framework.Noting that Tamil Nadu is the lower riparian state, he stressed that its rights and assured river flows must be protected. He called for the implementation of the Supreme Court’s judgment, tribunal awards and directions issued by the Cauvery Water Management Authority “in letter and spirit”.On the Mullaperiyar dam, which is operated by Tamil Nadu but located in Kerala, Vijay said decisions on raising the storage level from 146 ft to 152 ft should be guided by judicial rulings.Kerala continues to oppose raising the water level on safety grounds despite a SC order permitting the increase after strengthening measures were undertaken at the dam.Vijay said mutual trust, scientific evidence and respect for the rule of law could safeguard the interests of all riparian states.He also reiterated Tamil Nadu’s opposition to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test, arguing that it disadvantages rural students and those from socially and economically weaker backgrounds, particularly candidates unable to afford private coaching.Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu highlighted the need for improved rail infrastructure and high-speed rail connectivity among major southern cities. Issues relating to fiscal federalism, Cauvery water sharing and interstate cooperation to combat drug abuse also figured prominently during the discussions.The CMs urged the Centre to tighten regulation of online sales of prescription medicines and take action against unauthorised vendors. They said coordinated regional efforts could help realise the goal of a “drug-free South India”.On fiscal federalism, Vijay called for fair and equitable treatment of the southern states by the next Finance Commission, arguing that states that had invested in development, fiscal discipline and population stabilisation should not be penalised.The Southern Zonal Council comprises Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, along with the Union Territories of Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. Shah serves as the council’s chairman, while Vijay is its vice-chairman.