SHILLONG, 29 Jul: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday inaugurated the 20th annual conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India Region Zone-III at the Meghalaya legislative assembly building in Rilbong here.
The conference, spanning four days, will focus on natural disasters and their management, with special emphasis on the Northeast region.
One of the key topics of discussion during the conference will be regional connectivity, aiming to bring the Northeast on par with the rest of the country.
The inaugural event was attended by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh, Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma, and Arunachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker PD Sona.
During his speech, the Lok Sabha speaker paid tribute to late PA Sangma, the former Lok Sabha speaker, for playing a crucial role in establishing the CPA India Region Zone-III.
Sona, who is also the chairman of the CPA Zone-III, highlighted the CPA’s significance in fostering collaboration among legislators from different regions.
“The CPA’s initiatives create valuable platforms for representatives to exchange ideas, address critical issues, and find collective solutions for their constituencies,” Sona said, and extended gratitude to Birla, Singh and Sangma for attending the inaugural ceremony.
Earlier, in the morning, Sona chaired the executive committee meeting of the CPA India Region Zone-III. Meghalaya Speaker Thomas A Sangma was unanimously elected as the vice chairman of CPA India Region Zone-III.