The announcement was made after Rawat’s budget speech on the third day of the assembly session convened in Gairsain. (Source: Twitter/@airnewsalerts)

Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya Monday gave her assent to declaring Gairsain as the new summer capital of the state. “The Governor is hereby pleased to give her assent for declaration of Bhararisen (Gairsain) district Chamoli as the summer capital of Uttarakhand State,” a notification from the Uttarakhand government read.

On March 4, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had made the announcement of the summer capital, partially fulfilling an over two-decade demand by statehood crusaders to make Gairsain the permanent capital. The announcement was made after Rawat’s budget speech on the third day of the assembly session convened in Gairsain.

“I dedicate this announcement to the people who sacrificed themselves for the formation of Uttarakhand state. The decision has been taken for summer capital. It is a historic moment,” Rawat had said.

The Vidhan Bhawan building in Gairsain, Uttarakhand. (Express)

Gairsain will have an e-Vidhan Sabha, the CM announced on the World Environment Day. The state Assembly is located in the capital city Dehradun, but sessions are held in Gairsain as well.

Uttarakhand was carved out as a separate state from Uttar Pradesh in 1998. Statehood activists had long contended that Gairsain, a tehsil in Chamoli district, was best suited to be the capital of the mountainous state as it was a hilly region falling on the border of Kumaon and Garhwal regions.