Birla inaugurates 2-day CPA conference in Dharamshala

Shimla: Almost two decades after former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister (late) Virbhadra Singh established a second state Assembly complex in Dharamshala to host the annual winter session, the historic venue on Monday marked a new milestone—welcoming, for the first time, the two-day annual conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), Region Zone-2.

The event was inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who was also joined by the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Harivansh Narayan Singh.

The conference witnessed the participation of Speakers, Deputy Speakers, Chief Whips and Deputy Chief Whips from Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir. The Speakers of the Assemblies of Karnataka, Assam, UP, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Telangana were among the special guests.

Addressing the delegates, Birla called for making legislatures more efficient by managing resources, defending democracy, and adopting innovations like Artificial Intelligence (AI). He urged the state legislatures to share best practices, innovations, and technology to strengthen democratic institutions and increase the efficiency and transparency of legislative work.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu welcomed all dignitaries and congratulated Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania for organising the event. He said that the conference was a significant initiative towards strengthening democratic institutions, enhancing legislative processes and fostering democratic dialogue.

Stressing the importance of the anti-defection law in safeguarding democracy, the CM stated: “For the first time in the history of Himachal Pradesh, an attempt was made to overthrow a democratically elected government. However, the Speaker took a lawful stance and disqualified the concerned MLAs.”