Dharamsala, June 30 (IANS) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday inaugurated the annual conference of Zone II of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), India Region, in Dharamsala, a hill destination in Himachal Pradesh.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu, while welcoming all the dignitaries, said the two-day conference was a significant initiative towards strengthening democratic institutions, enhancing legislative processes, fostering democratic dialogue, and promoting regional cooperation. The conference saw the participation of Speakers, Deputy Speakers, Chief Whips, and Deputy Chief Whips from Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir.

In addition, the Speakers of the legislative assemblies of Karnataka, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Telangana were present as special guests.

The Chief Minister said that for the first time in the history of Himachal Pradesh, an attempt was made to overthrow a democratically elected government. However, the Vidhan Sabha Speaker took a lawful stance and disqualified the lawmakers concerned.

He stressed the importance of the anti-defection law in safeguarding democracy by saying, “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, the 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.

He also advocated for a separate policy for the hill states, keeping in view the tough topography and said, “The nation cannot prosper if the states do not progress. Himachal has suffered due to the implementation of GST (Goods and Services Tax), and therefore separate policy should be formulated for hill states.”

Chief Minister Sukhu further said the state government was committed to ‘Vyavastha Parivartan’ for ensuring good governance. Under the ‘Sarkar Gaon Ke Dwar’ initiative, ministers have visited over 1,000 panchayats to engage directly with citizens and address local issues at the earliest. He said remarkable progress has been made in the fields of health and education.

The Chief Minister also highlighted the introduction of robotic surgery in the state as a landmark step towards modernising healthcare facilities. He said the government is adopting a zero-tolerance policy against drug trafficking and has passed the Himachal Pradesh Organised Crime (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2025, which includes provisions for the death penalty, life imprisonment, heavy fines, and confiscation of the property of the offenders.

The Chief Minister reiterated the state’s commitment to welfare schemes and agricultural reforms.

Over 1.36 lakh government employees have been brought under the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), and nearly three lakh women were receiving Rs 1,500 monthly under the ‘Indira Gandhi Pyari Bahna Samman Nidhi Yojana’. The state has introduced the minimum support price (MSP) for wheat, maize, and raw turmeric, he added.

He said in an effort to boost border tourism, the government has opened the Shipki-La Pass, situated at an altitude of 3,930 meters along the India-China border, for tourism activities. “This is expected to significantly boost tourism in the tribal areas of Kinnaur district,” he added.

The conference features a series of plenary sessions and discussions on significant legislative and constitutional issues. The dignitaries will deliberate on the role of legislatures in managing the state resources vis-a-vis the development of the state; provisions as to disqualification on grounds of defection; and the usage of AI (artificial intelligence) in legislatures.

Himachal Pradesh Governor Pratap Shukla will address the gathering and deliver the concluding remarks on Tuesday.

–IANS

vg/uk