| Did Govt finally abolish 'Darbar Move'? | | Latest order hints at major developments, may alter administrative procedures forever | |
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, June 18: The cat is finally out of the bag. Government’s recent announcement over the bifurcation of civil secretariat has clearly hinted the authorities have decided to abolish the traditional practice of Darbar Move from Jammu and Kashmir. The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Wednesday ordered that 19 departments will function primarily from the Srinagar secretariat and 18 from the Jammu secretariat.
According to an order issued by General Administration Department, Civil Aviation, Culture, Estates, Finance, Floriculture, General Administration, Horticulture, Higher Education, Hospitality & Protocol, Industries & Commerce, Information Technology, Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs, Labour & Employment, Public Works, Social Welfare, School Education, Skill Development, Tourism and Youth, Services & Sports department will function from Srinagar secretariat.
The order states that Animal/Sheep Husbandry & Fisheries, ARI & Trainings, Cooperative, Disaster Management Relief, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction, Election, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Forest, Ecology & Environment, Health & Medical Education, Home, Housing & Urban Development, Information, Jal Shakti, Planning, Development & Monitoring, Power Development, Revenue, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Transport and Tribal Affairs departments shall function from the Jammu secretariat. It further states that Agriculture Production and Science & Technology departments shall primarily function from both Jammu and Srinagar secretariats.
Meanwhile, the news on Thursday remained abuzz that the government has finally decided to abolish the age-old practice of Darbar move in Jammu and Kashmir. The 'Darbar Move' was started in 1872 by Maharaja Gulab Singh to escape the extreme heat during summers in Jammu and biting cold of winters in Srinagar. The practice was continued by elected governments post-independence. The erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was the only region in the country that had two capitals, Srinagar and Jammu. Every year, in May and October-November, the capital and secretariat shift from one capital city to the other city to escape the extreme weather conditions in the two regions.
The summer capital opens in Srinagar in May and the winter in Jammu in October. The relocation of capital and secretariat from Jammu to Srinagar is called the Darbar Move. The department of estates alone used to spend more than 125 crores on providing logistics and accommodation to the move employees. All the money had to be borne by a common taxpayer of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Furthermore, more than 90 crores were being paid on account of paying allowances to Move employees. |
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