Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 4: Dogra Saddar Sabha delegation led by its president Gulchain Singh Charak, today called upon the Chief Secretary, Arun Kumar Mehta, to highlight various issues of public importance.
Charak while briefing media about his meeting with Mehta said that that during meeting they raised the concerns regarding the recent amendment orders which apparently amounted to a roll back of its earlier orders by the UT Government, doing away with the 15 decades old and obsolete practice of biannual Darbar Move that was ended after years of deliberations and wide condemnation even by the former Sadar- e- Riyasat and Union Minister Dr Karan Singh, former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah and a number of preceding Governors of Jammu and Kashmir besides observation by double bench of the High Court headed by Chief Justice that “the practice was opposed to public interest and deprived either region completely of access to Govt machinery for six months at a time”.
Charak said the Chief Secretary gave assurance that the practice of Darbar Move was not being restored, but only about 30 percent of the officers and their staff, who were essentially required to assist the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Secretary to facilitate smooth working of the secretariat at Jammu, had been asked to come to Jammu.
DSS leader also brought to the notice of Mehta, the slow pace of restoration work of Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex despite assurances that the work would be completed as per the approved comprehensive restoration plan in time for the celebrations of 75 years of India’s Independence. He also stressed to formally rescind the illegal and unethical move to establish hotel within the protected Heritage Complex.
The Chief Secretary was apprised that the archives are an intrinsic part of Dogra heritage and have been the soul of the complex for centuries and any move to shift the Archives from the Mubarak Mandi Complex will be suicidal as are also the need of scholars of history and culture, as well as cultural tourists, from across the world. Large scale shifting of the precious but fragile centuries old record will make it prone to damage and loosing of rare and historic documents/manuscripts.
Charak urged upon the administration to work out an alternative foolproof security arrangement for the civil secretariat by utilising the large compound within the civil secretariat complex only so that the road is thrown open to the public and they heave a sigh of relief.
A strong appeal was made by DSS to the Chief Secretary to resolve all the projected issues soon, taking into account the sentiments of the people as well as logic.
Col KS Jamwal, Prem Sagar Gupta, Brig MS Jamwal, GD Singh Charak, and Amanat Ali Shah were also present.
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