Seat of Govt set to function in Srinagar from today

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 4: Darbar Move, seat of the Government, including the offices of Governor, Chief Minister, his Cabinet colleagues and bureaucrats, is all set to start functioning in the summer capital, Srinagar, from tomorrow for next six months.
Meanwhile, hundreds of workers, mostly outside painters, were busy cleaning and painting footpaths and roads while security forces and State police deployed additional personnel while Traffic police announced a traffic plan for the Darbar Move.
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.
Civil Secretariat, which houses the office of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, his Cabinet colleagues, all bureaucrats, was given a face lift. The ground and first floor of the Secretariat was also affected in devastating flood in September last year, damaging record and furniture.
This correspondent who visited Maulana Azad Road saw workers and painters busy giving final touch to roads and footpaths. The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) had put into service hundreds of sweepers to clean the road, which will be used by Ministers and bureaucrats to reach Secretariat from their official and private residences. A number of flower pots could be seen on both sides of the footpaths.
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 vigil on main road and from other sides with the help of binoculars. Foot patrolling has also been intensified by security forces in the areas adjacent to Secretariat.
In 90s militants were targeting Civil Secretariat by firing rockets and rifle grenades. 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 the 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 of rupees to 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 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.
Meanwhile, the State Government is facing protests from opposition and traders on the first day of re-opening of move offices in Srinagar tomorrow with Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) workers planning march to Civil Secretariat and traders calling for strike against Government’s failure to rehabilitate them.
The traders called for Valley wide strike for tomorrow over the delay in the relief package to the flood hit traders of Kashmir.
The Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF) urged the traders to observe complete shutdown in Kashmir valley against what it termed the inordinate delay in relief package to the traders who suffered massive losses during last year’s floods. Traders are holding sit in protest at Budshah Chowk.
KTMF chief, Yasin Khan, appealed people not to ply their private vehicles on the city roads till 2 pm tomorrow.
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) is also marching to Civil Secretariat in protest against the PDP-BJP coalition government. It is observing May 5 as Black Day against what it said the unholy coalition between PDP and BJP.
The JKPCC president, G A Mir, said that Congress workers will assemble at Congress headquarters and march towards Secretariat. Mir said that his party will expose both the parties for their anti poor and anti people policies. He termed the attitude of both the parties very unfortunate and embarrassing.
The protest is against the recently announced recruitment policy of the government and what Congress says against communal and divisive forces.
Independent legislator Er Abdul Rasheed has also called for Civil Secretariat  gherao against attempts being made by the Government to set up colonies for the  Kashmiri Pandits.
The Jammu and Kashmir Central Coordination Contractors Committee (J&KCCCC) and United National Contractors Association (UNCA) already went today on a 36-hour hunger strike here demanding immediate release of their pending payments from various Government departments.
The contractors on hunger strike said that various departments including Estates Department has withheld over Rs 900 crores of their payments in various big projects and small works which have already been completed.
The Jammu and Kashmir Rehbar-e-Taleem Teachers Forum (JKReTTF) are also going on two day hunger strike from May 7 to press for their demand of non-payment of their salaries.

Follow our WhatsApp channel