Darbar move will be restored: CM Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said Jammu’s uniqueness will not be allowed to diminish and asserted that his government will restore Darbar move. Darbar move is an age-old practice under which the civil secretariat and other government offices used to function six months each in Srinagar and Jammu during summer and winter, respectively. The practice, introduced by Dogra rulers nearly 150 years ago, was stopped by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in June 2021, citing the administration's complete transition to e-office which could help save Rs 200 crore per year.However, the decision came up for sharp criticism from various quarters including Jammu business community and politicians who termed the exercise as a bond between the two regions.
“Darbar move is an issue which I fail to understand why it was not projected during campaigning for assembly polls. The issue gained momentum only after the election result although we have mentioned it in our manifesto and meetings,” Abdullah said. “We assure you that the Darbar move will be restored. Jammu has its own importance and we will not allow its uniqueness to diminish,” he told reporters after chairing over a three-hour long meeting with representatives of civil society at his official residence in Jammu.
Abdullah said the government takes its own decision which does impact the public.“After a decision, whether its impact is right or wrong, there is a need to get a feedback…sometimes it becomes difficult to get the right feedback within the government system because mostly you are surrounded by people who only praise you. So when a meeting of civil society takes place like this, mostly the participants come without any agenda and put forth their feedback and suggestions which turns out to be beneficial,” he said.