Gairsain, Mar 4 (PTI) Twenty years after Uttarakhand was granted statehood, an announcement was made in the state assembly on Wednesday to make Gairsain its summer capital.
Immediately after finishing his budget speech in the assembly here, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat made the announcement which partially fulfils a longstanding demand of the hill people and seeks to put an end to an emotive political issue simmering for the last 20 years.
The Dikshit Commission, which was formed to study the feasibility of the proposition, had said Gairsain was not appropriate to become a capital because of its seismic vulnerability.
Those who spearheaded the movement for statehood to Uttarakhand in the 1990s wanted Gairsain to be made the permanent capital of the hill state.
Talking to reporters after making the announcement in the assembly, Rawat said he was dedicating this gift to thousands of men and women who fought resolutely for statehood to Uttarakhand.
"It is a moment of pride. We have fulfilled a promise made in our vision document for 2017 assembly polls. It is a big decision," said an emotional Rawat.
He said he could not sleep last night and arrived at the decision after a lot of thinking.
The historic decision has been taken in view of the strategic importance of the area and its vulnerability to natural disasters.
He said now preparations have to be made on a war footing to build infrastructure Gairsain needs to be the summer capital of Uttarakhand.
Assembly speaker Prem Chandra Aggrawal said it was the Chief Minister's gift to the people of the state on the occasion of Holi.
