U’khand CM stresses on developing Garsain, Ganga

The Congress government in Uttarakhand has put off for time being the issue of declaring Gairsain as the state’s permanent capital, though Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Monday said the remote hill town is at the centre of his government’s priorities.

“Gairsain, Gaon and Ganga are at the centre of our priorities and we are working accordingly. It is in accordance with that vision that we are working in Gairsain with a well defined action plan and taking measures to strengthen the village economy,” he said in Gairsain (Chamoli district), nearly 260 km from state capital. 

“Our focus lies on the overall development of Gairsain. With limited state resources, we want to lead the state on new horizon of development. We are exploring new avenues for revenue collection of over Rs 1,000 crore. To bring happiness and prosperity in interior parts of the state, we are promoting traditional maduwa (millet)-jangora,” he added. 

The state government is working with a roadmap for the revival of the rural economy, women empowerment and social welfare. A Chief Minister’s camp office will soon become operational in Gairsain, he said. Situated in the middle of Garhwal and Kumaun regions of Uttarakhand, Gairsain has been an emotive issue for the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, which spearheaded the statehood agitation in the 1990s and is a strong votary of the idea of capital being located in the hills.