LS Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to inaugurate C'wealth meet

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will inaugurate the two-day 6th conference of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India Region here tomorrow, which is likely to be attended by about 100 delegates from across the country and abroad.
According to a release issued by Lok Sabha secretariat and circulated to media here by state assembly officials, Mahajan will inaugurate the conference in presence of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and the leader of the opposition in Vidhan Sabha Tejashwi Yadav.
"The conference will feature discussions on Parliament's role in development agenda and legislature and judiciary - two important pillars of democracy", the release said.

Keynote addresses will be delivered by veteran parliamentarian and Chairman, Estimates Committee, Murli Manohar Joshi and Union Minister for Law and Justice and Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad, the release added.
The valedictory session will be held on February 18 in presence of Governor Satya Pal Mallik.
"The CPA is composed of over 180 branches formed in legislatures of Commonwealth countries enjoying parliamentary democracy. All the CPA branches are geographically grouped into nine Commonwealth regions", the release said.

"The CPA India Region, which was earlier a part of CPA Asia Region, became an independent Region from September 07, 2004. The India Region of CPA consists of the India Union Branch (Parliament of India) and 31 State/Union Territories Branches", the release added.

"Conferences of CPA India Region are held once every two years and the 5th conference was held in 2015 in Goa", it added.
"The 6th conference of CPA India Region is likely to be attended by about 100 delegates. For the first time, the Chairperson, CPA Executive Committee, Emilia M Lifaka and representatives from Asutralia, Africa and Pacific Regions will also attend the CPA India Region Conference", the release added.