U’khand govt will formalise Gairsain as summer capital
BJP leader and cabinet minister Satpal Maharaj Wednesday said the Trivendra Singh Rawat government would formally name Gairsain as summer capital of the state.
“BJP government led by chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat will formalize it (Gairsain) as summer capital (of Uttarakhand) similar to Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh,” Maharaj told reporters here.
He said that Gairsain, where the previous Harish Rawat-led Congress government held three assembly sessions, will be a developed as “one of most beautiful townships of the state in coming days” and it would become an important tourist destination as well.
“Gairsain will be provided all infrastructural support to develop it as summer capital of the state and the tenure of assembly sessions may be extended to 15 days once things are in place. This will be done in accordance with the vision document and election manifesto of the BJP. Congress government had been working with an intention to put up a good face before the people over Gairsain as it was never serious on bestowing the status of summer capital to it,” said Maharaj.
Maharaj said the BJP government would “transform hills in Uttarakhand” into world class tourist destination for winter tourism. “We want to revolutionise rural economy of the state by bringing in foreign currency. New action plans will be chalked out to convert several hill areas into international winter tourism destinations by creating corresponding infrastructural facilities,” he said.
Maharaj was speaking to the reporters after taking charge of his office in the state assembly building. Earlier, he conducted a special puja and ‘hawan’ in the office along with his wife and former tourism minister Amrita Rawat. “Hawan was conducted to eradicate germs of corruption that was spread by the previous Congress government in the state,” he added.