(NTI): The demand to make Gairsain, the summer capital of Uttarakhand, the state’s permanent capital has resurfaced. The Congress party has promised to make this happen if they win the next election. However, the BJP questioned why Congress didn’t finalize this decision when they were in power, leading to a heated exchange between the two parties.
Former Chief Minister Harish Rawat explained that Gairsain couldn’t become the permanent capital because of opposition from certain individuals. He admitted that if not for these internal obstacles during Congress’s tenure, Gairsain would likely be the permanent capital by now. Rawat said that his government had started the process of making Gairsain the permanent capital, but it was derailed by some people. He believes that if these individuals hadn’t switched to the BJP, Gairsain would have become the permanent capital.
Regarding the plan to establish a permanent capital, Rawat noted that his government had taken significant steps. They built an assembly hall in Gairsain, stationed four divisions there, created a town plan, and constructed roads and bridges. They also merged Gairsain with Chaukutia to form a development board, planned to make Gairsain a district, and even awarded a tender for building a secretariat with a budget of ₹57 crore. The plan included constructing 500 houses. But, Rawat claims that if his government had remained stable, Gairsain would have become the permanent capital.
Ex Chief Minister Harish Rawat emphasized that if his government hadn’t been overthrown and President’s rule hadn’t been imposed in Uttarakhand, the state would have had a permanent capital by now.
