Chandigarh, Nov. 18 -- Chandigarh has become the first Union Territory to fully implement the three new criminal laws, said UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria during the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council (NZC) in Faridabad, Haryana, on Monday. He said the UT has achieved a 91% conviction rate under the reformed legal framework-setting a national benchmark for efficiency and judicial rigour. The meeting was chaired by Union home minister and minister of cooperation Amit Shah. Last year in December, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation the successful implementation of the three new criminal laws in Chandigarh. The meeting, convened by the Inter-State Council Secretariat under the ministry of home affairs and hosted by the Haryana government, saw participation from the chief ministers of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi; the lieutenant governors of Delhi and Ladakh; the administrator of Chandigarh; as well as senior ministers and officials from member states, Central ministries, and the Inter-State Council Secretariat. Punjab governor and UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, along with UT chief secretary H Rajesh Prasad, represented Chandigarh at the meeting. The council reviewed 27 priority agenda items, including 13 related to UT Chandigarh. Discussions focused on expediting investigations and the disposal of cases involving sexual offences against women and children, with special emphasis on strengthening Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs). Other key issues included the implementation of the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112), expansion of rural and postal banking services, and compliance with the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. Matters concerning urban planning, power sector reforms, food safety, malnutrition among girl children, Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY, school dropout reduction, and the Sahkar-Se-Samriddhi initiative were also taken up, with each topic reviewed for targeted action and timely resolution. During the meeting, administrator Kataria highlighted Chandigarh's emergence as a model of good governance. He noted the successful privatisation of the UT's electricity distribution network has enhanced transparency and operational efficiency. He also shared that Chandigarh has been declared the Best Performer under the PracheSHTA-1 category by the ministry of education. Kataria further emphasised the administration's focus on sports, including honorariums of up to Rs.6 crore for medal-winning athletes and dedicated support for differently-abled sportspersons. The UT's forest cover, he added, has increased substantially-from 47% to 51.4%-demonstrating strong environmental stewardship. Reiterating Prime Minister Modi's vision of TEAM BHARAT, the council stressed the critical role of zonal councils in strengthening cooperative federalism and consensus on inter-state and Centre-State issues....