SRINAGAR : “Darbar Move”, seat of the government, including the offices of Chief Minister, his cabinet colleagues and bureaucrats, reopened in Srinagar today amidst unprecedented security arrangements.
Chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who entered the civil secretariat after about a decade, was presented guard of honour by a contingent of state police personnel. However, the reopening of the offices, which were closed in Jammu on April 24 after functioning from there for six months, was marked by anti-government demonstrations by Congress and security force action against Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF) and arrest of Awami Itehand Party (AIP) chief and independent candidate Er Sheikh Abdul Rashid.
Large number of security force and state police personnel were deployed in and around the Civil Secretariat, exhibition crossing and Moulana Azad road. Interestingly a large number of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) workers and sweepers were busy since morning to clean the Moulana Azad road which was used by the Chief Minister and other ministers and top bureaucrats to reach the Secretariat. The seat of the government was closed on April 24 at winter capital, Jammu after functioning from there for six months. Similarly the offices will function from Srinagar for next six months.
Hundreds of trucks were used to shift the official record from Jammu to Srinagar. Similar was the case when offices shifted from Srinagar to Jammu in October-November last year.
Crores of rupees are being spent on TA and DA of employees who shifts along with the darbar move.
Darbar Move reopens in Srinagar amid security Besides Road Opening Party (ROP), additional paramilitary forces and state police personnel had been deployed in the civil lines to keep a close watch and thwart any attempt to cause disturbance.
Security forces, holding automatic weapons, could be seen deployed on the last floor of the secretariat besides on watch towers keeping a close watch on main road and from others sides with the help of binoculars. Foot patrolling has also been intensified by security forces in the areas adjacent to secretariat. The traffic police had also imposed restrictions on the traffic movement in the city to allow free movement of vehicles, carrying employees from their guarded government accommodation to their offices.
Darbar Move is the name given to the bi-annual exercise of shifting the secretariat and all other government offices from capital city to another in Jammu and Kashmir, which is the only state in the country having two capitals.
The tradition was started during Dogra rule in 1872 by Maharaja Ranbir Singh though it evoked opposition by people who alleged that it costs crores to the state exchequer annually. A number of attempts were made in the past to suspend the darbar move which evoked mixed response from the people in the state. People from Jammu opposed the move as large number of people from Kashmir valley and Ladakh region shifts to Jammu during winter when the valley is facing harsh winter and shortage of essentials.
Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had once said darbar should function from Srinagar during winter when people need the help from the government because of snowfall, power cuts and shortage of essentials. Similarly, he said, offices should function from Jammu in summer when the mercury goes up there. (AGENCIES)
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