Amid tight security arrangements, the civil secretariat and other moving offices of J&K government will open here on Monday as part of bi-annual Durbar Move.
As per 147–year-old practice of Durbar move, the secretariatand all other important offices in the state shift from one capital city toanother. From May to October, governmental offices are housed in the state’ssummer capital, Srinagar, and the other six months in its winter capital,Jammu.
The Raj Bhavan, civil secretariat and more than 50 officesare part of the Durbar Move, the practice started by Dogra rulers in 1872.
An official said that Governor Satya Pal Malik will receiveguard of honour in the lawns of civil secretariat tomorrow morning. “As pertradition, Chief Minister takes guard of honour on the opening day of theDurbar Move. Since there is no elected government, the Governor will take guardof honour,” he said.
Ahead of Durbar move, authorities have given facelift tocivil secretariat and roads leading towards it. “We have also carried outrenovation of government accommodations, where the Durbar move offices willstay,” an official said.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar ShahidChoudharysaid all necessary arrangements have been made for smooth functioning of DurbarMove offices in Srinagar.
Director Estates, Tariq AhmadGanai said they have made all arrangements for lodging of Durbarmove employees during their six-month stay in Srinagar.
“We have hired huts, JKTDC hotels and more than 100 privatehotels for providing accommodation to government employees,” he said.
The government offices are opening here at a time when thestate is under President’s rule after six month long Governor rule came to anend in December last year.
The state is without an elected government for the past 10months after BJP withdrew support to Mehbooba Mufti-led government.
The Model Code of Conduct is also in operation in the statedue to ongoing LokSabha polls and will remain applicable till 23rd of thismonth.
The practice of Durbar Move has come under question fromdifferent quarters, with several governments of the state calling forabandoning the practice, but none could do much about it given the sensitivityof the issue and the cry of “regional discrimination.”
In 1987, the Farooq Abdullah-led government floated the ideaof stalling the practice and constituted a committee to look into the matter.In its report titled “Durbar Move: The Reality” , the committee pointed outthat the exercise wastes nearly six toeight weeks of precious official time in packaging, moving and then settlingdown to work.
In 2012, then ChiefMinister Omar Abdullah questioned the wisdom of Durbar Move, saying: “It iswastage of money and an escapist move.”