Historic Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference Set for Dharamshala

Dharamshala to Host Landmark CPA Conference

Subhash Mahajan

Dharamshala – Kuldeep Singh Pathania, the Speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, has announced that the inaugural Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India Region-II Conference will take place at Tapōvan, Dharamshala, on June 30 and July 1. This event signifies a significant milestone for the state.

This conference follows the legacy of India’s first CPA gathering, which was held in Shimla in 1921, with its centenary celebrations also taking place there in 2021. Pathania, after assessing the preparations at the Assembly complex in Tapōvan, emphasized that this year’s conference will be a pivotal event for the region.

The opening ceremony is scheduled for June 30, with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who also leads the CPA India Region, serving as the chief guest. Notable attendees will include Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Harivansh, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan, and Deputy Speaker Vinay Kumar.

Delegates and presiding officers from various states, such as Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka, are anticipated to participate. Senior secretaries from both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, including P.C. Mody and Utpal Kumar Singh, along with assembly vice-chairpersons, chief whips, and legislators from the attending states, will also be present.

The closing ceremony on July 1 at 3 PM will feature Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla as the chief guest, with Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri and other senior leaders joining the final session.

Pathania confirmed that all arrangements for guest accommodations and conference logistics are finalized, with stringent security measures implemented. Only accredited media personnel, who have received passes from the Assembly Secretariat, will be permitted to cover the inaugural and closing sessions. All other conference activities will be restricted from press and public access.