The two-day annual conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), India Region Zone-2,inaugurated by Speaker Lok Sabha Om Birla, commenced on Monday at Tapovan in Dharamshala. The conference witnessed the participation of Speakers, Deputy Speakers, Chief Whips, and Deputy Chief Whips from Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir, all part of Zone-2. In addition, the Speakers of the Legislative Assemblies of Karnataka, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Telangana were present as special guests.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while welcoming all the dignitaries and congratulating the Speaker of H.P. Vidhan Sabha, Kuldeep Singh Pathania for organizing the event, said that this conference was a significant initiative towards strengthening democratic institutions, enhancing legislative processes, fostering democratic dialogue, and promoting regional cooperation.
Sukhu stated that for the first time in the history of Himachal Pradesh, an attempt was made to overthrow a democratically elected government. However, the Speaker of Vidhan Sabha took a lawful stance and disqualified the concerned MLAs. He stressed the importance of the Anti-Defection Law in safeguarding democracy and said, “The State Vidhan Sabha has passed a Bill to stop the pensions of disqualified legislators, which was currently awaiting the Governor’s approval.”
Himachal Pradesh has become a model for other States, especially in terms of digital democracy, said Sukhu. In 2014, Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha became the first completely paperless Assembly in the country, with all proceedings conducted digitally. He also raised the issue of conducting by-elections only once a year under the proposed ‘One Nation, One Election’ framework and requested the Lok Sabha Speaker to take up the matter at an appropriate forum.