Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat has announced that his government is working on a plan to make Gairsain, a non-descript town in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, as the summer capital of the state. Gairsain was made the unofficial capital of Uttarakhand by statehood activists in 1990s.
"Gairsain is going to be the summer capital and we are moving towards it," Rawat told Business Standard here.
Rawat's comments assume significance since most of the statehood activists wanted Gairsain to be the permanent capital of Uttarakhand.
Rawat was immediately supported by state Congress Chief Kishore Upadhayay. "We will do everything to realise the long-cherished dream of our statehood activists," said Upadhayay. But Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal wants the capital to be shifted to Gairsain permanently.
However, a political consensus on the issue is still awaited. "A political consensus is required on Gairsain issue," asserted Rawat. But Rawat made it clear the government will provide all infrastructure facilities to Gairsain. The government is constructing a grand Vidhan Sabha building at Gairsain. But when asked whether Gairsain should be made the permanent capital, the chief minister said "I leave it to the political wisdom of the major political parties."
When quizzed on the second vidhan sabha building which has been proposed in Raipur, the chief minister said there is no dispute on the issue. "There are some forest clearance issues in the way of Raiwala Vidhan Sabha building which are causing delay," he said. However, BJP has not made its stand clear on the capital issue.
"The chief minister is simply playing politics on the Gairsain issue. He is not serious," said Ajay Bhatt, leader of the Opposition.
