Does Dehra Dun, the picturesque gateway to Uttaranchal and the most developed city of the region, deserve to be made the capital of the new hill state.

Speculation about this point is heightening in Dehra Dun as high level officials meet almost every day to deliberate on the issue. The choice has been narrowed down to Dehra Dun in Garhwal or Nainital in Kumaon.
The die is, however, loaded against Nainital which has a very limited carrying capacity and no scope for its expansion. With the Supreme Court ban on construction in the ecologically fragile hill station no new buildings can be constructed to set up the capital.
Dehra Dun District Magistrate Nivedita Shukla has said that the cost of renovating and preparing Doon for becoming the capital has been worked out at Rs 11.5 crore.
It would cost Rs 150 crore if Nainital is to be prepared as the capital. This is unthinkable as the centre has refused to give any special financial grant for the creation of the capital.
According to senior bureaucrats, Doon would be the most likely choice and a decision to this effect would soon be taken. There is great scope for expanding the city to accommodate the additional people who would come here once it is made the capital. Expenditure on developing Doon would be minimal. But developing any hill town for the purpose would be a challenging and expensive task. Doon being a valley is an ideal choice as it has no extreme weather conditions like Nainital which is under the cover of snow in winter months. There is an airport 18 km away from the heart of Doon, a rail head and a regular bus service to Delhi and other parts of India. Doon's accessibility should weigh the choice in its favour.
In a few days, one will get to see whether doon finally gets what it has long deserved.
Bureau Report