DEHRADUN: Gairsain's Bhararisain, perched at a majestic 5,577 feet, was envisioned as Uttarakhand's summer capital and a symbol of the state's mountainous aspirations. Yet, over the past 11 years, it has hosted just 10 legislative sessions lasting a total of 35 days. The recent monsoon session marked an unprecedented low, adjourning without a single issue being discussed, despite significant public expenditure.
The journey towards a hill capital began in 2014, when the first Gairsain session was held in tents. This was followed by the groundbreaking ceremony for the assembly building on 47 acres of Animal Husbandry Department land in Bhararisain.
Congress MLA from Badrinath, Lakhpat Butola, expressed deep disappointment, saying, “The initiative launched 11 years ago with great hope has shown little tangible progress on the ground. The stark reality is that in 11 years, there have been 10 sessions here, lasting a cumulative total of just 35 days.”
Political parties have consistently leveraged Gairsain as an electoral platform, offering grand promises to residents and showing keen interest in the building’s construction. However, despite the arduous journey to the remote hill location, indifference towards conducting substantive legislative business has become a troubling pattern across the political spectrum.
Congress’s Chief State Spokesperson, Garima Mahara Dasoni, sharply criticised the ruling party. “It has become a predictable habit for the BJP. The script for the Bhararisain session is seemingly written in advance. Sessions are routinely concluded within a fixed, short period without any meaningful debate or discussion on critical state matters,” she said.
In response, BJP’s State Spokesperson Honey Pathak blamed the opposition. “The government arrives fully prepared to conduct the session, but the opposition Congress consistently creates a ruckus. They appear to have no genuine concern for the state’s pressing issues. The Congress wastes crucial parliamentary time and public money, which comes directly from the hard-earned income of our citizens. This time too, a similar unfortunate scene was witnessed in the house, entirely due to the opposition’s disruptive behaviour,” Pathak asserted.
The recent monsoon session stands as a unique and troubling chapter in Uttarakhand’s legislative history, concluding without any substantive debate. For both days of the four-day scheduled session, the crucial Question Hour could not be held. Key discussions under legislative Rules 58, 300, and 53 also failed to take place. The inability of a four-day session to even run for two full days has ignited serious questions among observers and citizens alike.
According to reliable assembly sources, Bhararisain has hosted three legislative sessions under Congress governments and six under various BJP administrations. The Trivendra Singh Rawat-led BJP government oversaw the longest single duration, with a 19-day session. The Harish Rawat government held a four-day session, the Bahuguna government a three-day session, and the current Dhami government convened sessions for seven days on two separate occasions.