By Shishir Prashant 
Congress promises permanent capital status; BJP government focuses on infrastructure but makes no such commitment
PrashantNews
Ever since Uttarakhand was carved out as a separate state on November 9, 2000, Gairsain has remained a hot potato for both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress. With Assembly elections just a few months away, the emotive issue of the state’s permanent capital is once again being politicised.
When Vijay Bahuguna became chief minister in 2012, he laid the foundation stone for the construction of a Vidhan Sabha building at Gairsain in Chamoli district, signalling the Congress government’s intent to develop the hill town as the state’s capital. After the Assembly complex was completed, the BJP government declared Gairsain the summer capital in 2020. However, the demand to make it the permanent capital has remained unresolved.
On October 28, the last day of the two-day Assembly session at Gairsain, Congress state president Ganesh Godiyal promised that his party would declare the area as the permanent capital if voted to power in the 2027 Assembly elections. The Congress hopes that the demand will help it mobilise support in the run-up to the polls.
The BJP government, however, has made no comparable commitment. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, when asked about the Gairsain issue, said the government was increasing infrastructure facilities there, without announcing any decision on permanent-capital status.
The Congress’s stand has not always been unequivocal. Indira Hridayesh, the late senior Congress leader and former finance minister, had argued that declaring Gairsain the permanent capital was not feasible because the town lacked adequate infrastructure. Her remarks reflected the practical difficulties that successive governments have cited while addressing the politically sensitive demand.
Meanwhile, the war of words between the BJP and the Congress over Gairsain is continuing.
Since June 9, 2014, when the first Assembly session was held at the hill complex in a tent, successive governments have convened sessions at Gairsain in an effort to bring the legislature closer to the mountainous regions. Gairsain was subsequently declared the summer capital in 2020, but the move stopped short of shifting the permanent seat of government from Dehradun.
The issue has its roots in the statehood movement of the 1990s, when many activists argued that Gairsain, located between the Garhwal and Kumaon regions, was better suited to represent the aspirations of the hill population. They believed that locating the capital in the hills would help address regional imbalances, migration and the neglect of remote mountain districts.
Successive state governments have yet to settle the question, despite a report by the V.N. Dixit Commission, constituted to examine possible locations for the capital. The commission considered five options — Dehradun, Gairsain, Rishikesh, Kashipur and Ramnagar — assessing them on geographical conditions, population, accessibility, transport, seismic vulnerability and security.
The commission submitted its 250-page report in 2008 to the then BJP government. It recommended Dehradun as the permanent capital and rejected Gairsain citing factors that included seismic considerations. The report did not lead to a lasting political resolution of the issue.
Meanwhile, a proposal to construct a new Vidhan Sabha building in the Raipur area of Dehradun was also lost in the wider debate over Gairsain. The existing Assembly complex in Dehradun near Rispana Bridge-Defence Colony has long faced criticism over inadequate space and traffic congestion during sessions, while the construction of another complex in the city has raised questions about the government’s long-term plans.
For the Congress, the latest promise provides an opportunity to challenge the BJP on an issue closely associated with the aspirations of the statehood movement. For the BJP, the emphasis remains on developing Gairsain and strengthening its role as the summer capital, without committing to a permanent shift.
As Uttarakhand heads towards the 2027 Assembly elections, the question remains whether Gairsain will continue to host periodic Assembly sessions or whether a future government will finally declare it the permanent capital.