Congress promises to make Gairsain permanent capital of Uttarakhand if voted to power

Ahead of next year’s assembly elections in Uttarakhand, Congress on Monday promised to make Gairsain the permanent capital of the state “within two-three years” of coming to power. “We will first create the infrastructure required for a permanent capital in Gairsain and then shift the state’s capital there within two-three years of coming to power,” Congress general secretary and former chief minister Harish Rawat said at a press conference here.

Rawat also accused the state government of doing nothing for the development of Gairsain.

“We would like to ask the BJP government what it did in the last five years for infrastructure development in Gairsain. Where did the amount of Rs 57 crore sanctioned for the secretariat building and residential houses go?” Rawat asked.

The Congress leader said Bhararisain where Gairsain Vidhan Sabha is located had been declared a notified area during his chief ministership as infrastructure required for a capital town was to be developed there.

He accused the BJP government of denotifying it and asked it to issue the list of names of people who had bought land in Bhararisain.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the BJP had made Gairsain the summer capital of Uttarakhand and will continue to do whatever is required for its development.

“We made Gairsain the summer capital. We will continue doing whatever is required for its development. They (Cong) need not worry about it,” Dhami said.

An emotive issue for those who fought for Uttarakhand’s statehood, Gairsain in Chamoli district was made the summer capital of the state by former chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat.