Striking an emotional chord with the masses in mountainous regions, the Congress government in Uttarakhand on Saturday announced that a Vidhan Sabha Bhawan will be built at Gairsain in Chamoli district and the monsoon session of the house will be held there.
Chief minister Vijay Bahuguna made the announcement while briefing reporters about the decisions taken at a meeting of the state Cabinet here.
The foundation stone for the Vidhan Sabha Bhawan at Gairsain will be laid on the occasion of Makar Sankranti and work on the project will be carried out on a war footing to ensure that it is completed at the earliest, he said.
Located between Kumaon and Garhwal regions, Gairsain has been an emotive issue in the state with a large section of those who fought for statehood to Uttarakhand in favour of the remote hill area in Chamoli district being declared as its permanent capital.
Asked if his government will debate recommendations of the two Commissions constituted in the past to study the feasibility of Gairsain being made the state's capital, Bahuguna said its main concern at present is to initiate the process of infrastructure building and give a boost to industrial activities in the area to generate employment opportunities.
Bahuguna said the cabinet has cleared an amount of Rs25 crore immediately to start work on construction of the Vidhan Sabha at Gairsain.
The state Congress hailed the decision as historic saying it will pave the way for Gairsain finally emerging as the summer capital of the state.
"It is a historic moment for those who fought for the creation of a separate Uttarakhand and wanted Gairsain to be its capital," Pradesh Congress vice president Suryakant Dhasmana told reporters in Dehradun.
"Holding a cabinet meeting at the remote place and announcing that a Vidhan Sabha Bhawan will be built there is honouring the sentiments of the people of the area," he said.
The opposition BJP termed the decision as an "eyewash".
"It is a disappointing decision which makes a mockery of the sentiments of the hill people. The government first raised their hopes and then dashed them by just announcing that a Vidhan Bhawan will be built there," state BJP spokesman Satish Lakhera said.
Many other states in the country too have Vidhan Sabhas at two different places and the decision will not help in development of the hill people as being claimed by the state government, he said.
"Bigger policy decisions aimed at expediting development activities in hill areas were expected from the cabinet meeting but it has been something of an anti-climax," Lakhera said.
Talking to reporters soon after the cabinet meeting, Bahuguna said several decisions aimed at giving a fillip to development activities in the remote hill regions of both Kumaon and Garhwal were also taken.
There will be no dearth of funds to encourage development activities in hill areas, he said adding the cabinet also cleared a proposal for putting in place a single window clearance system to give a boost to medium and small industries.
The Cabinet also decided to step up measures to expand education and health facilities in the region, Bahuguna said.
An engineering college will be set up at Gochar in Chamoli district, he said.
