J&K Government moots idea of discontinuing annual 'Darbar Move' practice

Civil Secretariat, Srinagar: roving tenantsLast week once again the Government of Jammu & Kashmir went through their annual ritual known as the "Darbar Move". The national and state flags on the Civil Secretariat were taken down, the building was locked up and the whole administration from the secretaries to the peons, bundled off to Jammu for the winter. Come April, the process will be repeated in reverse.The semi-annual exodus was introduced 90 years ago by the reformist Dogra ruler of the state, Partap Singh, to escape the Kashmir winter which was not only severe but, in those days, also completely cut the valley off from the outside world.The royal entourage usually took the Banihal Cart Road through the Pir Panchal range and the lesser officers would reach Jammu via Rawalpindi and Sialkot. At that time less than one hundred people were involved in the move.Today it is a mass exodus of around one lakh government employees that puts an additional burden of Rs 5 crore on the state exchequer - the major item of expense being the move travel allowance, ranging from Rs 500 to 650 paid to each employee twice a year. Time-wise, eight weeks are wasted yearly, which means a further loss of Rs 40 lakh.The move means hardship for the thousands of clerks and peons. "We are asked to live in C-class, single room flats - like animals in dingy sheds - while our ministers and secretaries arrive in Jammu to be escorted to spacious bungalows permanently reserved for them." laments a Kashmiri clerk. This time about 100 rooms from the Jammu Tourist Centre have been allotted to the employees at Rs 2 per room - the normal rate is Rs 25 per day but this takes care of only a tiny fraction of the homeless bureaucracy. Seven thousand applications from unaccommodated officials are still pending with the general department.Jammu Insists: From time to time the Government has tentatively mooted the idea of discontinuing the practice. But since the wintering officials pump quite a lot of money into the Jammu economy, the people of that city are strongly opposed to any change. No doubt the move is becoming more controversial with each passing year; it is a waste of time and money and it is inconvenient but the problem is to find a mutually acceptable alternative.One proposal has come from Harbhans Lal Bhagotra, a Janata MLA from the Jammu region: "The feasible solution is to establish separate designated posts in Jammu. The Government can follow in the footsteps of Uttar Pradesh where they have divisional ministers looking precisely into local affairs."The Government hesitates to abolish the "Darbar Move" mainly for fear that it would increase the feeling of alienation between Muslim Kashmir and Hindu Jammu. As Sheikh Abdullah commented recently: "The office-move satisfactorily involves our concentrated attention on both regions socially, economically and politically." Given the delicate relationship that has to be maintained between the two halves of the state it looks very much as if the J&K Government will remain the country's only peripatetic administration.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Oct 25, 2013 16:29 IST--- ENDS ---

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J&K Government moots idea of discontinuing annual 'Darbar Move' practice

Last week once again the Government of Jammu & Kashmir went through their annual ritual known as the "Darbar Move".

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