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| Rationalization of darbar move | | editorial | |
The civil secretariat and other move offices closed down at Srinagar
on Friday, October 27 for move down to Jammu where they will be opened
on November 6. In practice the work in secretariat at Srinagar had
come to grinding halt on October 17 only, with October 18, the Friday
being a holiday on account of Shabeqadar and the officers and
officials belonging to Jammu allowed to avail of additional holidays,
to move down to Jammu on account of Diwali on October 21 and then Eid
on October 25. In this way almost three weeks went without any work
being conducted in the secretariat and move offices. Much ahead of the
close of offices on account of annual darbar move, the files start
being packed and then it takes another week or so for the files to be
opened at Jammu. Thus In practice full one month is lost in this
practice of bi-annual darbar move. Darbar move has been the legacy of
the rule of Dogra dynasty, which has been handed down to the
democratic government after 1947. A move initiated by the then Chief
Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah, in 1984 to do away with this practice of
bi-annual darbar move and have the same permanently at Srinagar was
strongly resisted by all sections of the people in this region,
including the government employees and a strong agitation led by Jammu
Bar Association paralysed the official work as well as the business in
Jammu, resulting in the government submitting before the public
pressure and withdrawing the order. Since this step was construed as
anti Jammu, with Jammu region being denied the privilege of hosting
the move employees, which could have an adverse affect on Jammu's
economy, opposition to the same by the people of Jammu, cutting across
party lines and belonging to various walks of life was but natural.
However this ritual of bi-annual move besides leading to loss of about
two months of working days in the offices, also costs heavily on the
public exchequer. In average it costs the government Rs 10,000 per
move employ, on his/her TA, DA besides every department spending heavy
expenditure on move of files and other office equipment. It also leads
to the problem of accommodation for the move employees. During the
dynastic rule of Dogra Kings when this practice was started, the
number of employees and departments was very limited. Since then the
number has grown many fold. Thus the expenditure on move has increased
several hundred times. This luxury needs the dispense with. At least
all the departments should have separate heads for Jammu and Kashmir
regions, located permanently at their head quarters. The secretariat
too can have separate establishments for Jammu and Srinagar, which
will cost much less than what it cost today. Only a skeleton of
secretaries or heads of administrative departments should move along
with the ministers. In this way there will be no loss of working days
and much of the expenditure will be saved. However another aspect of
this tradition of darbar move viz the emotional integration between
the people of Jammu and Kashmir, which is strengthened by this
practice, cannot be ignored. Further its economic impact on the
traders in Jammu and Srinagar must also be taken into consideration,
while taking any rational decision in the matter.
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