Decades-long demand for Gairsain as sole capital in focus as Uttarakhand assembly session begins

GAIRSAIN: Gairsain, a picturesque Uttarakhand town, came into the spotlight again as the two-day assembly session began on Tuesday amid protests and accusations that the ruling BJP is ignoring the decades-long demand to make it the sole permanent capital.

While Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami hailed Gairsain's "expanding role" as the summer capital after holding two legislative assembly sessions in a year, the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal said the town is in dire of infrastructure development.

Gairsain is one of the nine blocks of Chamoli district, and Bhararisain, which is almost 14 kilometres away and located 2,390 metres above sea level, houses the assembly building.

The demand to make Gairsain the permanent capital began in the 1990s, around the time of the Uttarakhand statehood mass movement. It was raised primarily by Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) - a regional unrecognised political party founded in 1979 - and has never been opposed by either Congress or BJP while in power in the hill state.

The UKD has consistently argued for making Gairsain the permanent capital, asserting that its location -- which sits between the state's two administrative divisions, Garhwal and Kumaon -- would better serve the needs of hill communities instead of Dehradun, which is around 260 kilometres away.

UKD leaders describe Gairsain's position as a "central point" in Uttarakhand, as Chamoli district, where it is located, shares borders with Pithoragarh and Almora districts from the Kumaon division and with Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, and Pauri Garhwal districts in the Garhwal division.

However, when a separate Uttarakhand state was carved out of Uttar Pradesh in 2000, Dehradun was declared the interim capital because of the absence of administrative infrastructure in Gairsain.

It was further argued that Dehradun has better infrastructure compared to Gairsain and enhanced connectivity with other states.

"The demand for Gairsain to be the permanent capital of Uttarakhand has always been there. Dehradun is rather a temporary capital. In 2020, the state government declared Gairsain the summer capital and indirectly tried to suppress the demand for a permanent capital in the hilly region. If the government of a hill state does not operate from a hilly region, how will the non-plain districts witness development?" Kiran Rawat, UKD leader, said.

But protests again erupted over making Gairsain the permanent capital, following which a foundation stone for the assembly building was laid in 2013 in Bhararisain, and the construction was completed in 2014.

Since then, short assembly sessions have been held periodically in Gairsain.

In 2014, a three-day session was held in Gairsain for the first time. Similarly, in 2015 and 2016, sessions lasting two days were conducted, followed by another two-day session in 2017.

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In 2018, assembly proceedings continued for six days.

According to the state government's records, no session was held in 2019, while a five-day session took place in 2020 and a six-day budget session was conducted in 2021. In 2022, no session was held in Gairsain. Subsequently, a four-day session was held in 2023, followed by a three-day session in 2024. In 2025, both a budget session and a monsoon session were conducted there.

And in 2026, following the budget session in March, a second session is being held from October 27 to October 28. Dhami said it was the first time two sessions were conducted in a year in Gairsain, claiming that this underscores its significance as the state's summer capital.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Dhami said, "We will ensure that better facilities are developed here, and more programmes and events are conducted here throughout the year. Earlier, internet connectivity was not there, but it has been set up now. A media centre and housing facilities for police personnel are being developed. A project is underway to develop Bhararisain as a modern city, and train connectivity to the region will also start soon."

Calling Gairsain the symbol of Uttarakhand and its cultural identity, the chief minister said that the government is committed to accelerating development in the region.

"Gairsain is a symbol of the sentiments of Uttarakhand people and our cultural identity. Our government strives to ensure that issues concerning the challenges of the mountainous regions, public expectations, and development are prioritised through the assembly sessions held in the summer capital. We are committed to strengthening Gairsain's role and accelerating the balanced development of Uttarakhand's hilly regions. The state government is working consistently, driven by a resolve to foster development and good governance in alignment with the aspirations of the people," Dhami said.