Darbar move will be restored, won’t allow Jammu’s uniqueness to shrink: CM Abdullah

Jammu, Dec 11 (PTI) 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 the 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 the civil society at his official residence here.

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,” Abdullah said.

The purpose of this meeting was to get feedback and suggestions as well so that those are implemented, he added.

The chief minister said such meetings will be convened twice a year both in Jammu and Srinagar — one in summer and another in winter.

“A lot of issues came up during the meeting. As I said in the meeting, all the issues raised were noted down and we will inform the participants about the action taken report in the next meeting,” he said.

Addressing the meeting earlier, the chief minister said some things cannot be weighed merely in financial terms.

“The Darbar move symbolizes the unity and inclusivity of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a tradition that ensures governance remains accessible to both regions,” he added.

Dismissing financial arguments against this practice, the chief minister said the role of the government is not to focus solely on profit.

“Our responsibility is to serve and ensure balanced development across regions. Ending the Darbar move would only alienate the people of the two regions from one another and harm the collective unity we strive to preserve,” he added.