Bhubaneswar, Jul 7: The 15th Standing Committee meeting of the Eastern Zonal Council will be held on Tuesday at the Lok Seva Bhawan Convention Centre in Bhubaneswar. The meeting will bring together senior officials from Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, along with representatives of the Central Government.

Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg will chair the meeting. Chief Secretaries, Home Secretaries, and Directors General of Police (DGPs) from the four eastern states are scheduled to participate. Senior officials from the Union Government will also attend the deliberations.

The meeting will primarily focus on finalising the agenda for the upcoming Eastern Zonal Council meeting and reviewing the progress made on decisions taken during the previous council meeting.

One of the key issues on the agenda will be the complete eradication of Left-Wing Extremism along the Odisha-Jharkhand border. The committee is also expected to discuss measures to strengthen coordinated efforts against Maoist activities in the region.

Another major area of discussion will be curbing drug trafficking through the effective use of the National Narcotics Coordination Portal (NCORD). The participating states are expected to deliberate on enhancing inter-state coordination to combat the illegal narcotics trade.

The committee will also review a proposed blueprint aimed at improving connectivity and banking services in remote areas across the eastern states. The plan envisages establishing banking outlets and post offices within a five-kilometre radius to improve financial inclusion and access to essential services in underserved regions.

In addition, interstate border disputes among the participating states are expected to be discussed as part of efforts to enhance regional coordination and cooperation.