PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Sthayi Rajdhani Gairsain Samiti (SRGS) will organise a protest on October 12 at Parade Ground to demand that Gairsain be declared the permanent capital of Uttarakhand. This information was shared by the convenor of the SRGS and former IAS officer Vinod Prasad Raturi while addressing the media on Friday.
He stated that since Uttarakhand was formed in the year 2000, a permanent capital has yet to be established. Currently, there are two capitals in the State: Dehradun, which serves as the provisional capital and Gairsain, which is regarded as the summer capital. For the past 25 years, the authorities have not declared a permanent capital for the State.
Raturi highlighted that in the rural mountainous regions of Uttarakhand, migration has become widespread due to increasing unemployment. When Uttarakhand was created, two political parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress, were involved, but neither has succeeded in establishing a permanent capital since then. The absence of a permanent capital leads to government policies being primarily focused on the plains, while the lack of basic amenities, such as education and healthcare, in the mountain areas is causing villages to become deserted, jeopardising the State’s fundamental character, he said.
He further added that to raise awareness, the SRGS has been actively promoting their cause. Recently, they conducted a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on September 21. In line with their efforts, they have now decided to organise a protest on October 12 at the Parade Ground, which will run from 11 AM to 6 PM. Additionally, they plan to hold a march where participants from other States will also take part and march in Gairsain. The schedule for this march will be decided soon, according to Raturi.
