Darbar Moves Back
Jammu, Nov 3: After a hiatus of four years, finally ‘Darbar’ moved back to the winter capital on Monday with a magnificent spectacle of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah ‘walking up’ to Jammu and the winter capital exuding glowing warmth in reciprocation.
This found manifestation in showering of flower petals, warm salutations, and beaming faces amid slogans and drum beats, pervading the air, right from the Chief Minister’s official residence at Wazarat Road up to Raghunath Bazar.
If this was the ambience on the Residency Road and Raghunath Bazar, the Civil Secretariat Jammu – the nerve centre of administration, too, was all decked up to welcome the Chief Minister, his Council of Ministers, senior officers, and the ‘Move employees.’
Layered security was in place across the city.
Around 90 ‘Move offices’ shut in Srinagar reopened in the civil secretariat and resumed functioning in the winter capital for the next six months.
Prior to it, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was accorded a ceremonial ‘guard of honour’ by the J&K Police contingent in the civil secretariat on his arrival.
Deputy Commissioner (DC), Jammu, Rakesh Minhas, and Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu, Bhim Sen Tuti were present on the occasion.
However, as planned earlier to celebrate the momentous occasion of resumption of historic bi-annual practice of ‘Darbar Move’, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, on his way to the civil secretariat, opted to traverse the distance from his official residence up to Raghunath Bazar - the main business hub of old Jammu City, on foot.
Resumption of the Darbar Move had a political significance as it prominently figured in his National Conference’s electoral promises.
Besides, it was a major demand of Jammu traders and business bodies.
To gauge the response of the main stakeholders to this move, it was necessary to feel the verve on the ground and the Chief Minister aptly did that while walking – briefly interacting with the traders, shopkeepers, and locals also at Shaheedi Chowk, Residency Road, and Raghunath Bazar.
Accompanied by his cabinet colleagues – Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and Minister for Jal Shakti Javed Rana, his (CM’s) Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani, former minister Ajay Sadhotra, and other senior NC leaders, the Chief Minister started from his official residence at Wazarat Road at around 9 am.
It literally turned out to be an impressive road show as people, mainly traders and party workers, jostled with each other to catch a glimpse of the Chief Minister, offer him garlands, or just shake hands with him.
Overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response, beaming CM Omar too amiably exchanged pleasantries as the slogans ‘Dekho Dekho Kaun Aaya; Sher Aaya, Sher Aaya’, being raised by NC workers, rent the air.
As he walked through Shaheedi Chowk and Residency Road, locals and shopkeepers, joined by NC workers, showered flower petals on him.
At Shaheedi Chowk, he was felicitated by the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) delegation and the members of Residency Road and Rajinder Bazar Associations.
Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) President Arun Gupta, along with his other colleagues, too joined the Chief Minister, walking through the business hub of Jammu City, to extend gratitude to him.
At Raghunath Chowk, CM Omar was given a rousing reception by the members of Raghunath Bazar. Similarly, the members of the City Chowk Bazar and Kanak Mandi Bazar Associations also felicitated him.
Representing the exuberant trading community, JCCI President Arun Gupta, while responding to media queries on this occasion, said, “Resumption of Darbar Move was a long-pending demand of Jammu traders as well as locals. We had raised this demand when the CM and his cabinet ministers visited us at the JCCI office after taking over the reins of office.”
“We are happy that they accepted our demand, which will revive both business and tourism in Jammu, besides promoting regional unity. It will benefit transporters as well. We all have come here to extend our gratitude to the Chief Minister through this rousing reception,” Gupta said.
He said that the Darbar Move’s contribution to Jammu’s economy revolved around Rs 1000 crore.
From City Chowk, the Chief Minister finally boarded the vehicle to reach the civil secretariat.
A splendid welcome also awaited him on the road leading to the civil secretariat.
Inside the civil secretariat, the formal guard of honour marked the opening of offices as part of the traditional Darbar Move.
The Chief Minister inspected the ceremonial parade and took the salute.
He also interacted with officers and staff on the occasion.
Another high point of the day was the visit of the National Conference President and the former chief minister, Farooq Abdullah, along with other members of the family, to the civil secretariat.
“In fact, they arrived at around 9:30 am and straightaway went inside the secretariat building. Even the Chief Minister had not reached by then,” sources said.
As a part of the resumption of full Darbar Move, 39 offices, including the Chief Minister’s Secretariat and all departments of the civil secretariat, have moved ‘in full’ while 47 offices have moved ‘in camp’ to Jammu.
However, the nine subordinate offices of the Home Department, which directly come under the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha under the Union Territory set-up, will remain unaffected by the resumption of bi-annual ‘Move practice’, scrapped since 2021.
These offices - Police Headquarters, J&K, along with other associated offices; Prisons Headquarters, J&K; Directorate of Prosecution, J&K; Police Housing Corporation, J&K; Headquarters, Home Guards, Civil Defence and SDRF, J&K; Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services, J&K; Directorate of Forensic Science Laboratory, J&K; Directorate of Sainik Welfare Department, J&K, and Directorate of Defence Labour Procurement, J&K, will continue to function simultaneously at both Srinagar and Jammu.
A control room has been set up inside the civil secretariat to facilitate the ‘Move employees’ and address their other issues following the opening of offices.
Darbar Move practice, initiated around 150 years ago by Dogra Maharaja with strategic and climatic considerations, was scrapped by the administration of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in 2021 with the assertion that it would save Rs 200 crore of the State exchequer.
FIRST OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENT OF DAY
Following the ceremonial reception, as per a government spokesperson, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chaired a high-level meeting with the Council of Ministers and Administrative Secretaries to get an update on the functioning of various departments and assess the administrative preparedness following the move.
Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister described the restoration of the Darbar in Jammu after a gap of four years as “a welcome experience” that has infused a wave of enthusiasm and happiness across the city and its adjoining areas. However, he underlined the challenges ahead, noting that the government is now at a crucial juncture where “actual ground delivery is expected.”
“All planning and discussion phases have been completed. It is now time to translate the decisions into tangible outcomes on the ground,” CM Omar said.
According to a government spokesperson, the Chief Minister directed all departments to focus on the timely implementation of projects already sanctioned and approved, ensuring visible progress at the grassroots level.
Acknowledging the financial constraints being faced, CM Omar assured that the matter of limited resources “will be appropriately addressed.”
He called for a balanced approach, urging officers to “ensure effective delivery while simultaneously curbing unnecessary expenditure.”
The Chief Minister also informed that on the lines of a series of district-level review meetings, conducted in the Kashmir province, interactions will now be initiated across the Jammu division to assess developmental progress and address public issues. He commended all departments for their coordinated efforts in ensuring the smooth and successful conduct of the recently concluded Assembly session.
