The Uttarakhand governments next cabinet meeting on November 3 will be held in Gairsain,the choice of venue reviving talk about an old demand for shifting the states capital there. Gairsain has for years been spoken about as a permanent capital to replace Dehradun,and Congress sources said the Vijay Bahuguna governments choice is a statement aimed at reviving that demand. In 1992,Kashi Singh Airi,then president of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal,had declared Gairsain would be the capital of the hill state for which he was heading a movement. Yet for the 12 years since Uttarakhand became a state,successive governments have allowed infrastructure to be developed in the present capital,including the chief ministers residence,Raj Bhavan,the secretariat building and residences for MLAs. In 2001,the state government set up a commission headed by retired judge Virender Dixit to recommend a permanent capital for the state. The commission submitted its report about three years ago. The demand for Gairsain as the capital continues to strike an emotional chord with residents,particularly those who live in the mountains. Situated 272 km from Dehradun,Gairsain is at the centre of the state that has two divisions,Garhwal and Kumaon. Though it has announced the cabinet meeting at Gairsain,the government has remained silent on the chances of making it the capital. Our concern is development of hill areas. The decision to hold a cabinet meeting at Gairsain has been taken in view of the peoples sentiment, said Uttarakhand Congress president Yashpal Arya,also revenue minister. The cabinet will clear several projects for people who live in mountains and hilly areas. He would not commit himself to the chances of Gairsain being made the capital. This is just a cabinet meeting, he told The Indian Express over the phone. Developing the interior areas is important to the ruling Congress. Sources said the party has been worried about its base in the hill areas since the defeat of chief minister Bahugunas son Saket in the Lok Sabha bypoll to Tehri. In 2009,the Congress had won all five seats. Besides,the BJP has a strong organisational structure in the hills. A Congress source said Bahugunas choice of venue is part of an effort to revive the old issue of a permanent capital. By holding the meeting at Gairsain,Bahuguna wants to send out a message that his party is more concerned than the BJP about the people of hilly areas, the source said. It would dent the BJPs influence in the hill areas. While ruling the state,the BJP never took up the issue of Gairsain as permanent capital. Leader of the Opposition Ajay Bhatt,of the BJP,termed the choice of meeting venue a political stunt. Bahuguna is trying to divert peoples attention from real issues such as price rise,the cap on subsidised LPG cylinders and the absence of basic amenities like drinking water and roads in hill areas, Bhatt told The Indian Express. He said the decision is a reflection of the desperation in the Congress after the defeat of the chief ministers son. Let the chief minister set up the CMs secretariat at Gairsain. He should spend at least 20 days in tents at Gairsain to get a sense of the problems the people face, he said.
