Uttarakhand seeks Central funds for Garsain

Uttarakhand Assembly today unanimously passed a resolution seeking Rs 1,000 crore from the Centre for infrastructural construction in Gairsain, as Chief Minister Harish Rawat underlined his government's commitment in granting the remote hill town the status of a permanent capital.
"Gairsain is not just a political slogan for us. We are trying to develop suitable infrastructure in Gairsain in keeping with the sentiments associated with the place and trying to build a consensus over the vexed issue of granting it the status of a permanent capital," Rawat said, addressing the state assembly on the second day of its ongoing session in Gairsain.

Gairsain is an emotive issue in the state,with Uttarakhand Kranti Dal which spearheaded the statehood agitation in the 1990s being in favour of the hill town in Chamoli district being declared permanent capital.
With opposition BJP staging a walkout in the House to mount pressure on the ruling dispensation to shed its ambivalence over permanent capital status to Gairsain, Rawat said the state government wanted overall development of the town with maximum connectivity besides availability of power and water.
He also said if steps were taken immmediately after the formation of the state towards making a permanent capital in accordance with the aspirations of statehood agitators, things would have been easier.

"At the time when the state was created, locating the capital anywhere with far shabbier infrastructure would not have raised eyebrows but so much has changed since then. Now we need suitable infrastructure. We are working on a plan to develop a better township in Gairsain," the Chief Minister said.

He added that road connectivity is being improvedandthe airstrip in Gauchar is also being upgraded to make it suitable for large-bodied aeroplanes.
There is also a proposal for a new airport at Ramdeval in Chaukhutia, he said.
The state assembly also unanimously passed a resolution on holding the budget session of the House in 2017-18 in Gairsain.

The current session of the state assembly is being held in the under-construction Vidhan Bhawan at Gairsain.
As many as 21 legislations, including those related to creation of five universities, an amendment bill pertaining to Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Council and creation of a special river valley authority were also passed amid a walkout by BJP members.