News Analysis India

Tag: Gairsain

  • Uttarakhand puts on hold Gairsain status

    Express News Service
    DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand Cabinet on Friday decided to put the commissionerate status of Gairsain ‘on hold’.

    Subodh Uniyal, cabinet minister and government spokesperson, said: “The decision to accord commissionerate status to Gairsain has been put on hold for now. Further decision will be taken keeping in mind public sentiments.”

    Sources indicated this means not implementing the decision. Last month, Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat had said the decision was ‘under consideration’.

    The hilltown was accorded the status by the state government led by former CM Trivendra Singh Rawat in March, 2021. The decision is said to be one of factors leading to his removal as CM.

    The new division was carved with the districts of Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Bageshwar and Almora along with a senior IAS officer as commissioner and senior IP S as DIG of police like other two divisions of the state Kumaon and Garhwal.

    Last month, Rekha Arya, a cabinet minister, had said that inclusion of Almora in Gairsain commissionary was not a ‘practical’ decision. Sources in government said that adding Almora in the newlyformed Gairsain commissionary acted a big catalyst in his removal.

  • Decision to accord commissionerate status to Gairsain was taken after discussions: Trivendra Rawat

    By Express News Service
    DEHRADUN: Former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat on Sunday said that decision to accord the status of commissionerate to Gairsain was taken after discussion with ‘stakeholders’. 

    He also added that talks to the dissolution of the commissionerate status of Gairsain are just ‘fiction’. 

    “The decision to elevate Gairsain as the third commissionerate of Uttarakhand was taken after detailed and long discussion with people who matter. It was for the betterment of the summer capital and realization of long pending dreams of people of the hills of Uttarakhand who sacrificed for the statehood,” said the former CM. 

    The statement comes after newly sworn-in CM Tirath Singh Rawat’s indication that the decision could be reversed. The CM on Friday had also added that the decision is ‘under consideration and paperwork to that effect has been put on hold for now. 

    “We are considering the decision and any decision regarding Hairaan commissionerate will be taken as per people’s aspirations. The process to accord complete status of commissionerate is yet to be completed, ” the CM had said while speaking to the media through video conferencing. 

    Earlier this month, a cabinet minister from Trivendra cabinet who is in the Tirath Singh Rawat cabinet too had said that the inclusion of Almora district in Gairsain commissionary was not a ‘practical’ decision.

    Rekha Arya, state cabinet minister for women and child welfare also praised the new Chief Minister’s decision. 

    Rahul Singh Shekhawat, Dehradun based political analyst said, “It seems that the former CM is yet to come to terms with the decision of his sudden removal just 9 days before the government complete 4 years in Uttarakhand. Also, witnessing a reversal of decisions made during his tenure as the CM is not invoking a pleasant feeling.”

    The state government under the incumbent CM has reversed several decisions which include withdrawal of over 5000 cases registered under the Epidemic Act 1897 and the Disaster Management Act 2005 against people during the lockdown, RT-PCR test Mahakumbh attendees, efforts to downplay the religious congregation, among others.

    Reacting to this the former CM had said that Covid threat should be taken more ‘seriously’. 

  • Division status for Uttarakhand’s summer capital Gairsain, says CM Trivendra Rawat

    Express News Service
    DEHRADUN: Gairsain, the summer capital of Uttarakhand, will become a new division, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat announced in the state Sssembly on Thursday during the budget session. Comprising of four districts Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Bageshwar and Almora it will be the third division.

    Like the other two, Kumaon and Garhwal, it will have a senior IAS officer as commissioner and senior IPS as deputy-inspector general of police.

    The CM also announced that a town planner for Gairsain will be appointed soon and tender for the master plan will be issued in a month.

    About 20,000 trees will be planted and a food processing unit would be established in the area, he said.

    At present a ‘nagar panchayat’, Gairsain in Chamoli district was designated as summer capital of Uttarakhand last year.

    It has no railway network or airport, though plans to build an airstrip was announced way back in 2012 by the then CM Vijay Bahuguna.

    The government presented a Rs 57,400-crore budget for the state, with emphasis on health, rural infrastructure, education, employment generation and agriculture.

    For the first time, the budget session was telecast live. Rawat said the budget aimed at making Uttarakhand self-reliant.