The two-day annual conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), India Region Zone-2 began on Monday at Tapovan, Dharamshala. The event was inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
The conference saw the participation of Speakers, Deputy Speakers, Chief Whips, and Deputy Chief Whips from Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir, all members of Zone-2. In addition, Speakers from the Legislative Assemblies of Karnataka, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Telangana attended as special guests.
Welcoming the delegates and congratulating HP Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania for organising the event, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu called the conference a significant step toward strengthening democratic institutions, improving legislative processes, fostering democratic dialogue, and encouraging regional cooperation.
The Chief Minister referred to the recent political crisis in the state, stating that for the first time in Himachal’s history, there was an attempt to topple a democratically elected government. He praised the Speaker for taking a legal and constitutional stand by disqualifying the concerned MLAs. He emphasised the importance of the Anti-Defection Law in safeguarding democracy and mentioned that the State Vidhan Sabha had passed a Bill to stop pensions for disqualified legislators, which is currently awaiting the Governor’s approval.
He added that Himachal has emerged as a model for digital democracy, with the HP Vidhan Sabha becoming the first completely paperless assembly in India back in 2014. He also supported the idea of holding by-elections only once a year under the proposed ‘One Nation, One Election’ framework and requested the Lok Sabha Speaker to raise this matter on a suitable platform.
Highlighting the challenges faced by hill states, Sukhu called for a separate policy considering their difficult topography. He noted that Himachal has suffered due to the implementation of GST and stressed that the nation cannot prosper unless it’s states progress.
He reiterated the state government’s commitment to ‘Vyavastha Parivartan’ for ensuring good governance. Under the ‘Sarkar Gaon Ke Dwar’ initiative, ministers have visited over 1,000 panchayats to directly engage with citizens and address local issues.
Sukhu pointed out major strides in health and education, sharing that Himachal Pradesh secured 5th place in the NAS Survey 2025, a remarkable jump from 21st in 2021—showcasing the state's focus on quality education. He also hailed the introduction of robotic surgery in the state as a milestone in healthcare modernisation.
Touching upon law and order, he said the state has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against drug trafficking and passed the Himachal Pradesh Organized Crime (Prevention & Control) Bill, 2025, which includes provisions for death penalty, life imprisonment, heavy fines, and property confiscation of offenders.
The Chief Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to welfare and agricultural reforms. He shared that over 1.36 lakh employees have been brought under the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and that nearly three lakh women are receiving ₹1,500 monthly assistance under the Indira Gandhi Pyari Bahna Samman Nidhi Yojana. The state has also announced Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for wheat, maize, and raw turmeric.
To promote border tourism, he said the state has opened the Shipki-La Pass—located at 3,930 meters on the India-China border in Kinnaur district—for tourists, which is expected to boost tribal area tourism significantly.
Follow us
